Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2010  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/johnashtonstoryoOOdick 


JOHN  ASHTON: 


A  STORY 

OP 

THE    WAR    BETWEEN    THE    STATES. 


BY 

CAPERS  DICKSON, 
An  Ex-Member  of  Cobb's  Legion,  Georgia  Volunteers. 


ATLANTA,  GA.: 

Thk  Foote  &  Davies  Company, 

Printers  and  Binders. 

18%. 


Copyright        1896, 
By  Capers  Dickson. 


To 

The  Heruks  who  wore  The  Gray 

AND  bravely  bore  The  Starry  Cross  into  fierce 

battle's   focal  fires,  achieving   signal  victories    over  a  world   in 

arms  until  crushed  by  overwhelming  numbers, 

This  Volume  is  Affectionately  Dedicated 

BY 

THE  AUTHOR. 


602811 


PREFACE. 

The  fictional  framework  of  the  following  story  will  be 
found  to  contain  accurate  pictures  of  some  of  the  military 
incidents  of  The  War  Between  The  States.  Some  of  those 
incidents  came  under  the  author's  personal  observation 
and  a  knowledge  of  the  others  was  obtained  from  the 
official  records  of  the  Union  and  Confederate  armies,  as  pub- 
lished by  authority  of  Congress,  and  from  other  historical 
sources.  Principally  for  the  purpose  of  portraying  these 
incidents  in  a  manner  that  will  render  their  perusal  more 
interesting  to  the  general  reader  than  if  a  recital  of  them 
were  embodied  in  an  unvarnished  and  isolated  historical 
statement,  this  volume  has  been  written. 

CAPERS  DICKSON. 
Oxford,  Ga.,  1896. 


JOHN  ASHTON. 

CHAPTER  I. 

"Well,  Ruth,  what  do  you  think  of  him?"  asked  Bertha 
Gray  of  her  cousin,  Ruth  Middle  ton. 

"I  hardly  know  how  to  answer  your  question,"  said  the 
latter.  "He  is  handsome,  as  one  can  see  at  a  glance,  and 
has  a  distingue  look  and  bearing  that  are  quite  impressive. 
His  face  indicates  intellectuality  and  force  of  character  but 
has  an  expression  of  sadness  and  reserve  which  suggests 
the  idea  that  he  has  experienced  great  sorrow;  and,  either 
from  choice  or  lack  of  friendly  sjnnpathy,  borne  his  grief  in 
silence,  and  thus  acquired  a  habit  of  seclusion  that  tends  to 
make  him  isolate  himself  from  his  fellows." 

"If  your  ideas  concerning  him  are  correct,  "  said  Bertha, 
"he  is  not  likely  to  prove  a  very  attractive  person,  and,  not- 
withstanding his  handsome  appearance  and  evident  intel- 
lectuality, will  be  no  acquisition  to  society." 

"I  cannot  agree  with  you  in  the  conclusion  you  have 
reached," said  Ruth,  "for lam  confident  that  by  nature  and 
cultivation  he  is  well  fitted  both  to  adorn  and  benefit  socie- 
ty, if  he  can  be  drawn  out  of  himself  and  induced  to  mingle 
with  his  fellow-creatures  and  participate  in  the  social  af- 
fairs of  life  in  which  most  young  men  find  recreation  and 
pleasure." 

"You  may  be  right,"  said  Bertha,  "and  we  can  only  wait 
and  see." 

The  subject  of  the  foregoing  conversation  was  John  Ash- 
ton,  a  young  lawyer   who  had  recently  located  in  B ,  a 

small  town  in  Middle  Georgia.  He  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia and  had  graduated  with  distinction  at  the  University 
of  that  State  in  the  law  class  of  1860.  Shortly  after  he  re- 
turned home  from  college,  his  father.  Colonel  Aubrey  Ash- 
ton,  met  a  tragic  death  by  being  thrown  from  his  horse. 
His  mother  was  in  very  feeble  health,  and  the  shock  which 
she  experienced  in  consequence  of  her  husband's  death  was 
so  great  that  she  never  recovered  from  its  effect  and  died 
about  a  week  thereafter.     John,  being  an   only  child,    was 


6  JOHN  ASHTON. 

thus  left  alone  in  the  world  with  neither  brother  nor  sister 
to  sympathize  with  and  comfort  him  in  his  sad  bereavement. 
His  grief  was  agonizing  and  grew  in  intensity  as  the  days 
passed  by,  as  everything  about  his  once  happy  home  vivid- 
ly reminded  him  of  his  lost  loved  ones  and  kept  constantly 
before  his  mind  the  heartrending  misfortune  that  had  be- 
fallen him.  Having  no  near  relatives  to  whom  he  could  go 
for  sympathy  and  consolation,  he  had  to  bear  the  burden 
of  his  grief  alone,  and  at  last  determined  to  get  away  from 
the  scenes  and  surroundings  which  daily  reminded  him  of 
his  bereavement  and  made  it  more  difficult  to  endure.  In 
consequence  of  this  determination,  he  sold  the  family  resi- 
dence, together  with  its  furniture,  and  went  to  B ,  where 

he  had  begun  the  practice  of  his  profession  a  short  time  be- 
fore Ruth  Middleton  and  Bertha  Gray  had  the  conversation 
with  whicli  this  story  opens.  The  occasion  of  this  conversa- 
tion was  a  casual  sight  which  they  had  of  Ashton  at  the 
village  church  on  the  preceding  day.  The  interest  which 
they  had  manifested  in  him  was  to  some  extent  that  which 
they  would  have  felt  in  any  newcomer  who  happened  to  be 
a  handsome  and  eligible  young  man,  and  it  had  been  en- 
hanced by  reason  of  the  story  of  sadness  and  suffering  that 
was   so   plainly  written  on  his  face. 

The  parties  to   this  conversation  resided  in  B ,  and,  as 

their  parents  were  dead,  had  with  them,  as  a  companion 
and  housekeeper,  Mrs.  Martha  Foster,  a  distant  relative  of 
theirs.  They  were  two  of  the  most  charming  and  interest- 
ing young  ladies  in  the  place.  Bertha  Gray  was  a  bright 
and  joyous  creature  whose  presence  brought  sunshine  and 
gladness  to  those  with  whom  she  came  in  contact.  Ruth 
Middleton  was  not  so  lively  and  demonstrative  as  her 
cousin,  but  was  equally  as  agreeable  in  her  manners.  She 
was  quite  intellectual,  had  great  strength  of  character,  an 
equable  disposition  and  a  calm  dignity  of  manner  that  was 
suggestive  of  reserved  force,  and  yet  possessed  a  warm 
heart,  and  was  quite  animated  when  the  occasion  called  for 
vivacity  or  joyousness.  Indeed,  there  was  nothing  in  her 
calm  and  dignified  mien  indicative  of  coldness  or  indiffer- 
ence, as  it  was  so  easy  and  natural,  and  her  bearing  was  so 
frank  and  affable,  that  one  was  at  once  impressed  with  the 


'      JOHN  ASHTON.  7 

idea  that  it  was  merely  the  accompaniment  of  a  noble  dis- 
position. She  -was  an  excellent  judge  of  human  nature  and 
her  estimates  of  character  were  rarely  incorrect.  Her  re- 
marks concerning  John  Ashton  indicated  that  she  had 
formed  a  correct  idea  of  his  character  merely  from  having 
seen  him  for  a  few  moments. 

The  days  passed  by,  and  outside  of  the  members  of  the 
bar  and  a  few  young  men  who  had  called  on  him,  Ashton 
formed  no  acquaintances  except  such  as  he  met  in  the 
course  of  his  business.  He  felt  an  aversion  for  the  company 
of  comparative  strangers  and,  of  course,  would  not  go 
into  society  with  his  great  grief  so  fresh  in  his  memory  and 
bearing  so  heavily  upon  his  heart.  He  devoted  himself  to  the 
study  and  practice  of  his  profession  and,  in  the  course  of  a 
few  months,  secured  such  a  clientage  as  indicated  that  he 
had  won  the  confidence  of  the  people  among  whom  he  had 
cast  his  lot  and  was  in  a  fair  way  of  acquiring  both  wealth 
and  fame.  He  persistently  refused  to  enter  society,  al- 
though often  invited  by  his  male  acquaintances  to  join 
them  in  their  social  gatherings.  Hence  months  passed  by 
without  his  meeting  Ruth  Middleton  and  Bertha  Gray,  and 
he  might  not  have  met  them  at  all  had  not  an  accident 
brought  about  an  acquaintance  between  them. 

Leading  a  sedentary  life  it  was  necessary  that  he  should 
have  some  exercise,  and  he  was  accustomed  to  taking  a 
ride  of  several  miles  nearly  every  afternoon. 

One  afternoon  he  had  taken  a  ride  into  the  country  and 
was  returning  by  way  of  an  unfrequented  road  that  inter- 
sected the  main  thoroughfare  leading  toB .  When  with- 
in a  short  distance  of  this  thoroughfare  he  heard  the  sound 
of  a  horse's  feet  upon  it,  and,  glancing   in  the    direction  of 

B ,  saw  a  horse  running  at  full  speed  toward  the  place 

where  the  two  roads  met,  and  on  the  horse  a  lady  who  ap- 
peared to  have  lost  all  control  of  the  animal  and  was 
merely  endeavoring  to  keep  her  seat  in  the  saddle.  Realizing 
the  great  danger  that  threatened  the  lady,  Ashton  at  once 
put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  rode  forward  at  rapid  speed 
with  a  view  to  intercepting  the  runaw^ay  horse.  He  was 
superbly  mounted  and  felt  confident  of  succeeding  in  his  pur- 
pose; but  the  other  horse  was  nearer  than  his  own   to  the 


8  JOHN  ASHTON. 

intersection  of  the  roads  when  the  race  began,  and  before  he 
could  be  intercepted,  had  reached  the  place  and  dashed  by 
with  the  speed  of  the  wind.  Ashton's  only  hope  now  was 
to  overtake  the  animal  by  sheer  rapidity  of  speed  on  the 
part  of  his  own  horse,  and  without  a  moment's  hesitation 
he  began  the  race.  The  runaway  horse  had  about  thirty 
yards  the  start  of  Ashton's  horse  and  for  a  few  moments 
gained  on  the  latter.  Ashton  was  not  discouraged  by  this 
and  had  really  anticipated  it,  as  he  knew  that  it  would 
take  a  little  time  to  get  his  own  horse  up  to  his  full  speed. 
Giving  his  horse  free  rein  and  touching  him  sharply  with 
the  spur,  Ashton  urged  him  on  to  greater  speed.  The  ani- 
mal readily  responded  to  his  rider's  wishes  and,  rapidly  in- 
creasing his  gait,  was  soon  perceptibly  gaining  on  the  other 
horse. 

About  three-quarters  of  a  mile  ahead,  the  ro^d  crossed  a 
stream  which  ordinarih'  was  quite  shallow,  but  after  every 
heavy  rain  became  for  a  time  impassable.  In  consequence 
of  this  fact,  a  bridge  had  been  built  over  the  stream  a  short 
distance  above  the  ford,  and  the  road  leading  to  and 
across  this  bridge  left  the  main  road  about  three  hundred 
yards  from  the  stream.  Only  a  few  daj's  before,  this  bridge 
had  been  washed  away  by  reason  of  an  extraordinary  rise 
in  the  waters  of  the  stream,  and  it  had  not  yet  been  re- 
placed. The  result  of  this  was  that  at  this  time  there  was 
a  wide  and  deep  chasm  where  the  bridge  had  been,  and  Ash- 
ton knew  that  if  the  runaway  horse  should  happen  to  take 
the  road  leading  to  this  chasm  and  attempt  to  leap  across 
the  same,  certain  death  awaited  its  rider.  Fearing  that 
this  might  be  done,  he  redoubled  his  efforts  to  overtake  the 
animal  by  urging  on  his  own  horse  to  yet  greater  speed. 
Believing  that  the  former  had  reached  his  full  speed,  as  he 
was  running  in  consequenceof  fright,  and  perceiving  that  his 
own  horse  was  gradually  gaining  on  him,  Ashton  naturally 
concluded  that  his  animal  w^as  the  faster  of  the  two  and 
felt  confident  of  overtaking  and  rescuing  the  lady  if  her 
horse  should  keep  in  the  main  road.  But,  alas!  to  his  dis- 
appointment and  horror,  the  lady's  horse,  on  reaching  the 
road  leading  to  where  the  bridge  had  been,  turned  into  it 
and  dashed  ahead  without  slackening  his  speed.    For  a  mo- 


JOHN  ASnTON.  9 

ment  Ashton's  mind  was  almost  paralyzed  with  horror  at 
the  thought  of  the  danger  that  threatened  the  lady;  bnt 
recovering  from  this  temporary  shock,  he  struck  his  spurs 
deeply  into  his  horse's  sides  and  with  quick  and  vehement 
cries  urged  him  on.  At  this  time  he  was  about  forty  yards 
behind  the  fleeing  animal,  and  his  own  horse,  smarting 
under  the  pain  of  the  cruel  spurs  and  seeming  to  understand 
from  the  tones  of  his  master's  voice  that  his  utmost  speed 
w^as  required  of  him,  sprang  forward  with  long,  panther- 
like leaps  that  rapidly  lessened  the  space  between  him  and 
the  frightened  fugitive.  Faster  and  faster  he  sped,  gaining 
each  moment  on  the  fleeing  animal,  and  soon  he  had  over- 
taken him  and  the  two  horses  w^ere  running  side  by  side. 

Glancing  ahead,  Ashton  saw  that  they  were  within  fifty 
yards  of  the  stream,  and  realized  the  impossibility  of  check- 
ing the  lady's  horse  in  that  distance  by  any  degree  of  force 
that  he  could  exert  by  means  of  her  bridle  reins.  He 
instantly  conceived  the  idea  of  lifting  the  lady  from  her 
horse,  and  quickly  but  calmh-  said: 

"Loosen  your  foot  from  the  stirrup,  free  your  skirt  from 
the  horn  of  your  saddle,  and  be  prepared  to  drop  your  reins 
and  lean  toward  me  when  I  give  the  word." 

The  lady  having  promptly  done  as  he  directed,  Ashton 
bent  over  toward  her  and  said,  "Now!"  and,  as  she  leaned 
toward  him,  he  clasped  her  form  w^ith  his  right  arm  and 
lifted  her  out  of  the  saddle.  Instinctively  she  clasped  his 
horse's  mane  with  her  right  hand  and  his  saddle-bow 
with  her  left,  and  thus  greatly  lessened  the  weight  that  had 
at  first  been  thrown  upon  him  and  relieved  the  strain 
which  he  had  thereby  experienced.  Pulling  hard  upon  the 
reins  and  speaking  gently  to  his  horse,  Ashton  succeeded  in 
stopping  the  animal  within  a  few  paces  of  the  chasm 
where  the  bridge  had  been,  and  safely  lowered  the  lady  to 
the  ground.  Quickly  dismounting,  he  supported  her  to  a 
spot  near  the  roadside  where  there  was  an  accumulation 
of  fallen  leaves,  and  there  she  sank  down,  completely 
exhausted  from  the  effects  of  the  terrible  ordeal  through 
which  she  had  passed.  She  had  not  yet  spoken  to  Ashton, 
but  as  soon  as  she  had  sufficiently  recovered  from  her  fright 
and  state  of  exhaustion  to  speak,  she  said: 


10  JOHN  ASHTON. 

"I  believe  that  it  is  to  Mr.  Ashton  that  I  am  indebted  for 
the  timely  and  inestimable  service  that  has  been  rendered 
me  and,  as  this  service  has  evidently  saved  my  life,  I  cannot 
find  words  to  express  my  deep  gratitude  for  the  same,  and 
can  only  say  that  with  all  my  heart  I  thank  you  for  what 
you  have  done." 

"Now,  that  it  is  over,"  said  Ashton,  "I  will  not  underes- 
timate the  danger  which  threatened  you  or  the  service  that 
I  was  enabled  to  render  you  ;  but  you  must  not  waste  your 
breath  in  thanks.  The  intense  gratification  which  I  experi- 
ence in  having  rescued  you  from  danger  is  more  than 
sufficient  compensation  for  w^hat  I  have  done.  Had  I  failed 
in  my  effort  to  rescue  you,  the  failure  would  have  almost 
crazed  me,  although  youare  to  me  an  entire  stranger.  And 
this  reminds  me  to  answer  your  interrogative  supposition 
as  to  who  I  am,  by  stating  that  it  is  correct,  and  that  my 
name  is  John  Ashton.     You,  I  know,  are  Miss  Middleton  of 

B .     Now,  that  our  informal  introduction  is  over,  if  3^ou 

will  excuse  m}'  absence  for  a  few  moments  I  will  ascertain 
what  has  become  of  your  horse.  I  fear  that  he  is  seriously 
and  perhaps  fatally  injured ;  for  when  I  last  saw  him  he 
was  disappearing  in  the  chasm  ahead  of  us." 

Ashton  then  proceeded  to  the  edge  of  the  chasm  and,  on 
looking  over,  saw,  at  its  bottom  and  near  the  mid  He  of  the 
stream,  the  lifeless  body  of  Miss  Middleton's  horse.  He 
was  lying  in  such  a  position  as  indicated  that  his  neck  had 
been  broken.  Evidently  he  had  endeavored  to  stop  on 
reaching  the  edge  of  the  chasm,  and,  being  unable  to  do  so, 
the  momentum  given  to  his  body  by  the  speed  at  which  he 
was  running  had  caused  him  to  fall  instead  of  leaping  into 
the  chasm,  and  he  had  thus  lost  his  equilibrium  and  fallen 
on  his  head,  thereby  meeting  instant  death. 

Ashton  immediately  returned  to  Miss  Middleton  and,  as 
she  appeared  to  have  regained  her  composure,  informed  hei 
that  her  horse  was  dead. 

For  a  moment  her  face  was  pale  wnth  horror  at  tht 
thought  of  the  fate  that  she  had  so  narrowly  escaped ;  bui 
almost  instantly  the  color  returned  to  her  cheeks  and  her 
countenance  was  radiant  with  the  joy  that  filled  her  heari 
in  consequence  of  the  fact  that  she  had  indeed  escaped  such 


JOHN  AS U TON.  11 

a  terrible  fate.  Ashton  now  began  to  wonder  how  he  would 
manage  to  get  Miss  Middleton  home,  as  he  knew  that  it 
would  be  very  inconvenient  and  fatiguing  for  her  to  ride 
on  his  saddle,  and  her  own  was  lying  in  the  middle  of  the 
stream  and  unfit  for  use  even  if  it  were  accessible. 

About  this  time  two  negro  boys,  accompanied  by  several 
dogs  and  evidently  engaged  in  a  rabbit  hunt,  came  into  the 
road  a  short  distance  from  where  Ashton  was  standing. 
Calling  them  to  him,  Ashton  soon  induced  one  of  the 
negroes  to  temporarily  suspend  his  contemplated  chase  of 
"the  cotton-tails"  for  a  less  exciting  and  pleasant  but  more 
profitable  employment,  and  bargained  with   him  to   go  to 

B ,  for  a  carriage.     Mounting  Ashton's  horse  the   negro 

started  on  his  errand  in  a  sharp  trot  and  was  soon  out  of 
sigth. 

Ashton  then  turned  to  Miss  Middleton  and  asked  her  to 
tell  him  how  her  horse  came  to  run  away  with  her. 

She  informed  him  that  she  and    her  cousin,   Miss  Bertha 

Gray,  were  riding  out   from   B .    and   when   they    were 

within  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  of  where  he  first  saw 
her,  a  ferocious  dog  ran  out  from  a  farmhouse  near  the 
road,  and  began  to  bark  furiously  at  their  horses.  Her 
horse  was  greatly  startled  by  the  noise  and  at  once  started 
to  run.  Seeing  this,  the  dog  ran  after  him  and  kept  up  a 
loud  barking  at  his  heels.  This  thoroughly  frightened  the 
horse  and,  clamping  the  bit  with  his  teeth,  he  plunged  for- 
ward at  full  speed  and  soon  became  en tirel}- unmanageable. 
Discovering  that  she  could  not  control  her  horse,  she  had 
merely  endeavored  to  keep  her  seat  in  the  saddle.  Not 
knowing  that  the  bridge  had  been  washed  away,  she  had 
made  no  effort  to  keep  her  horse  in  the  main  road  at  the 
time  that  he  turned  into  the  other,  and  hence  had  not  real- 
ized the  full  danger  that  threatened  her  until  just  before 
Ashton  lifted  her  from  the  saddle,  when  she  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  chasm  ahead  of  them. 

"And  now,"  she  concluded,  "let  me  again  thank  you  for 
the  timely  service  which  you  rendered  me,  and  assure  3'ou 
of  my  lasting  gratitude  for  the  same.  Permit  me  also,  to 
express  my  admiration  for  the  wonderful  forethought, 
coolness,  and  dexterity  manifested  by  you  in  your   method 


12  JOHN  ASH  TON. 

of  rescuing  me.  The  calm  tone  of  your  voice,  when  telling 
me  what  to  do,  was  so  reassuring  that  my  fears  were 
greatly  relieved  and  my  self-possession  to  some  extent 
restored,  and  I  did  not  hesitate  a  moment  infollowingyour 
directions.  Indeed,  1  was  so  impressed  hj'  your  calmness 
that  I  would  have  done  anything  that  you  might  have 
directed." 

"Yes,"  said  Ashton,  "I  noticed  the  promptness  with 
which  j^ou  followed  my  directions  and  was  thereby  satisfied 
that  I  would  succeed  in  safely  liftmg  you  from  your  horse. 
Had  you  hesitated  or  become  nervously  agitated,  it  is 
probable  that  some  accident  would  have  happened  and 
that  both  of  us  would  have  fallen  to  the  ground.  Hence 
you  see  that  your  promptness  and  calmness  in  following 
my  instructions  contributed  greatly  to  your  rescue,  and 
indeed  were  essential  to  the  success  of  my  effort  in  3'our 
behalf.  Allow  me  to  say  that  you  are  an  exceedingly  skill- 
ful rider.  Although  I  came  from  Virginia  where,  one  might 
say,  the  ladies  are  almost  reared  in  the  saddle,  yet  I  have 
never  seen  a  lady  who  excelled  you  in  riding." 

At  this  moment  a  lady  was  seen  approaching  them  on 
horseback,  and  Miss  Middleton  said: 

"That  is  my  cousin,  Bertha  Gray,  who  was  with  me  when 
my  horse  became  frightened,  and  she  is  doubtless  surprised 
to  see  me  alive." 

On  reaching  them.  Bertha  quickly  sprang  from  her  horse, 
without  waiting  to  receive  the  assistance  which  Ashton 
started  to  offer,  and  rushing  forward  clasped  her  cousin  in 
an  affectionate  and  convulsive  embrace,  and,  in  broken  sen- 
tences interspersed  with  tears  and  laughter,  said  : 

"Oh,  Ruth,  it  was  terrible!  I  was  almost  paralyzed  with 
horror — and  you  really  are  unhurt?  How  glad  and  happy  I 
am  !  I  expected  to  find  you  dead,  and  can  now  see  again  the 
horrible  vision  that  arose  in  my  mind  of  your  bruised  and 
bleeding  form  lying  on  the  roadside.  How  inexpressibly 
thankful  I  am  that  it  was  only  a  vision,  and  that  my  dear 
cousin  is  unharmed  and  with  me  again." 

All  this  time  Bertha  had  taken  no  notice  of  Ashton,  and 
would  have  continued  yet  longer  to  ignore  his  presence  in 
her  engrossing  manifestations  of  joy  at  her  cousin's  escape 


JOHN  ASHTON.  13 

from  danger,  but  the  latter,  gently  unclasping  Bertha's 
arms  from  her  neck,  said: 

"Your  manifestations  of  joy  at  my  escape  are  very  sweet 
and  dear  to  me.  Bertha,  but  I  must  ask  you  to  suspend 
them  for  at  least  a  little  while  in  order  that  I  may  make 
you  acquainted  with  the  gentleman  to  whom  I  am  indebted 
for  my  rescue  from  danger." 

She  then  introduced  Ashton  to  Bertha, who,  both  from  lively 
gratitude  and  warm-hearted  impulsiveness,  was  exceedingly 
profuse  in  her  thanks  to  him  for  the  service  that  he  had 
rendered  Ruth.  After  thus  overwhelming  him  with  thanks 
for  what  he  had  done,  she  insisted  that  he  should  tell  her 
ail  about  the  rescue  and  how  he  had  effected  it. 

Ashton  complied  with  her  request,  and  in  a  simple  and 
modest  manner  gave  an  account  of  the  occurrence. 

While  he  was  talking  to  Bertha,  Ruth  had,  for  the  first 
time,  an  opportunity  for  closely  observing  him  without 
attracting  his  attention,  and  this  was  the  result  of  her 
observation :  She  saw  that  his  form  was  slightly  above 
medium  height,  perfectly  erect  and  well-proportioned,  that 
his  eyes  were  dark  grey,  his  hair  almost  black,  his  forehead 
broad  and  massive,  his  nose  straight  and  small  and  his 
mouth  rather  broad  and  firmly  set,  indicating  firmness 
and  strength  of  character.  Although  his  face  was  ani- 
mated and  bright  while  he  was  talking  to  Bertha,  yet  Ruth 
could  still  detect  strong  traces  of  the  sadness  that  marked 
it  when  first  she  saw  him  ;  and  her  heart  was  touched  with 
sympathy  for  him  in  the  misfortune  which  she  inferred  had 
befallen  him  and  the  grief  that  he  was  still  enduring  in  con- 
sequence of  it. 

Shortly  after  Ashton  had  finished  telling  Bertha  of  Ruth's 
adventure,    the    carriage   for  which    he  had    sent    arrived. 

Having  placed  Ruth  in  the  carriage  and  assisted  Bertha 
to  mount  her  horse  Ashton  mounted  his  own  horse  and  the 
party  returned  to  B . 

On  their  arrival  at  the  home  of  the  young  ladies,  Ruth 
and  Bertha  renewed  their  thanks  to  Ashton  and  gave  him 
a  cordial  invitation  to  visit  them. 

He  stated  that  he  would  be  pleased  to  do  so,  and  bade 
them  adieu. 


14  JOHN  A  SB  TON. 


CHAPTER  11. 

When  Ruth  and  Bertha  retired  to  their  room  that  night 
and  had  an  opportunity  for  confidential  conversation, 
Bertha  said : 

"Ruth,  what  do  you  think  of  him  now?  I  guess  that  you 
have  by  this  time  learned  how  to  answer  my  question?" 

"Yes,  to  some  extent  I  have,"  replied  Ruth,  "and  I  am 
fully  confirmed  in  the  opinion  expressed  in  our  former  con- 
versation. Moreover,  I  am  satisfied  that  he  possesses  not 
only  the  intellectuality  and  force  of  character  which  I 
ascribed  to  him,  but  also  a  warmth  of  heart  and  nobility  of 
soul  that  constitute  him  one  of  nature's  noblemen." 

"Whether  he  be  that  or  not,"  said  Bertha,  "he  is  certainlv 
a  fortunate  hi  an  to  have  won  such  praise  from  the  lips  of 
my  fastidious  and  undemonstrative  cousin.  And  she  is  also 
fortunate  to  have  had  such  a  man  as  her  rescuer  from  dan- 
ger, and  the  hero  of  to-day's  adventure.  How  romantic  it 
is !  Of  course,  he  will  feel  that  he  has  met  his  fate,  fall  des- 
perately in  love  with  you,  become  your  devoted  slave,  seek 
and  win  your  love,  and  then,  as  the  story-books  express  it, 
you  and  he  will  be  married  and  live  happily  ever  after." 

Ruth  slightly  blushed  in  consequence  of  the  picture  which 
Bertha  had  thus  glibly  drawn,  but  promptly  negatived  the 
idea  of  its  realization  by  saying : 

"You  are  decidedly  premature  in  your  predictions,  and 
show  that  you  have  but  little  knowledge  of  Mr.  Ashton's 
character.  He  is  not  a  person  to  yield  to  the  supposed 
influences  of  what  you  consider  a  romantic  adventure,  or  to 
fall  desperately  in  love  with  any  woman;  and,  moreover,  his 
heart  is  so  fully  preoccupied  by  the  sorrow  which  his  face 
portrays  that  there  is  in  it  no  place  for  the  gladsome  emo- 
tion of  love.  He  will,  of  course,  visit  us  in  compliance  with 
the  invitation  we  gave  him,  and  it  is  probable  that  his 
visits  may  be  occasionally  repeated  and  he  and  I  may 
become  warm  friends;  but,  unless  he  experiences  a  gre:it 
change,  it  will  be  a  long  time  before  he  thinks  of  loving  any 
woman." 


JOHN  ASIITON.  15 

"T  can't  believe  that  you  are  correct  in  3^our  views,"  said 
Bertha,  "and  as  to  your  denial  of  my  supposition  that  he 
will  fall  in  love  with  you,  I  am  sure  that  it  is  simply  the 
result  of  your  well-known  modesty.  Nobody  can  help  lov- 
ing you  when  they  know  yo  i ;  and  for  a  man  not  to  love 
you  after  saving  your  life,  as  Mr.  Ashton  has  done,  would 
be  contrary  to  nature  and  simply  preposterous." 

"Thanks,  dear  cousin,"  said  Ruth,  "for  your  very  flatter- 
ing opinion  of  me;  but  I  feel  that  it  is  merely  the  out- 
growth of  your  great  affection  for  me,  and  hence  it  does 
not  shake  my  confidence  in  the  views  which  I  have  expressed. 
Your  surmises  might  be  correct  in  regard  to  an  ordinary 
man  under  ordinary  circumstances  ;  but,  as  I  have  intimated, 
Mr.  Ashton  is  no  ordinary  man,  and  his  heart  and  life 
are  at  present  under  the  domination  of  an  absorbing  emo- 
tion that  will  probably  for  a  long  time  control  both  his 
conduct  and  his  feelings.  For  his  sake,  I  earnestly  hope 
that  the  occasional  visits  which,  as  a  matter  of  courtesy,  he 
ma^^  now  make  us  will  awaken  him  to  a  sense  of  the  isola- 
tion that  he  has  practiced  and  tend  to  make  him  take  some 
interest  in  society,  and  thereby  counteract  the  depressing 
etfects  of  the  burden  of  sorrow  that  he  is  evidently  bearing 
in  secret  and  alone." 

"I  heartily  join  you  in  this  hope,"  said  Bertha,  "for  I  am 
sure  that  he  full_v  deserves  all  the  happiness  that  could  come 
to  a  true  and  noble  man  under  the  most  favorable  circum- 
stances. I  shall  certainly  do  all  I  can  to  contribute  to  his 
pleasure,  and  will  be  greatly  gratified  if  I  succeed  in  bring- 
ing the  least  bit  of  sunshine  into  his  life." 

At  the  time  that  this  conversation  was  in  progress,  the 
subject  of  it  was  sitting  in  his  room  apparently  engaged  in 
reflection  on  some  subject  of  absorbing  interest.  A  short 
time  before  he  bad  been  reading  on  a  branch  of  law  in- 
volved in  an  important  case  in  which  he  had  recently  been 
retained  as  counsel;  but  the  book  had  been  laid  aside  and 
its  contents  for  the  time  dismissed  from  his  mind.  The  sub- 
ject of  his  meditations  was  one  of  personal  interest,  for  he 
was  thinking  of  the  day's  adventure,  the  unexpected  and 
radical  change  that  it  had  effected  in  his  relations  to  at 
least  two  of   the  ladies   of  B ,    and  of   how  its   results 


16  JOHN  ASHTON. 

would  prob'ibly  lead  to  a  complete  revolution  in  his  social 
life;  for  he  realized  that,  in  view  of  what  had  occurred, 
common  courtesy  required  that  he  should  occasionally  visit 
Misses  Middleton  and  Gray,  and  that  if  he  visited  them  he 
would  be  expected  to  visit  other  ladies  in  the  place,  and 
perhaps  would  eventually  be  drawn  into  society.  The 
thought  was  by  no  means  pleasant  to  him,  as  he  disliked 
the  idea  of  relinquishing  the  life  of  seclusion  which  he  had 
been  leading,  and  felt  that  he  could  not  endure  to  come  in 
contact  with  the  gay  and  thoughtless  persons  whom  he 
would  meet  in  society,  when  his  heart  was  filled  with  a  sor- 
row that  knew  no  abatement.  In  contrast  with  the  un- 
pleasant feeling  awakened  by  this  train  of  thought,  was  a 
desire  to  become  better  acquainted  with  Miss  Middleton, 
for  he  had  been  impressed  with  the  idea  that  she  was  an 
exceptional  woman  as  to  her  moral  attributes  and  mental 
attainments,  and  felt  that  he  would  find  her  interesting  and 
companionable.  He  felt  also  that  her  nature  was  such 
that  she  could  and  would  sympathize  with  him  in  his  sor- 
row should  their  acquaintance  become  such  as  to  warrant 
him  in  revealing  it  to  her.  As  a  final  result  of  his  medita- 
tions, he  reached  the  conclusion  that  the  occurrence  of  the 
afternoon  was  perhaps  providential,  and  intended  to  break 
up  the  depressing  monotony  of  his  sad  and  secluded  life  and 
open  the  way  to  such  experiences  as  would,  eventually, 
counteract  the  effects  of  his  then  absorbing  sorrow ;  and  he 
determined  to  let  matters  take  their  natural  course  and 
accept  whatever  consequences  might  result  therefrom. 

In  accordance  with  this  determination  he  called  on  Ruth 
and  Bertha  the  next  evening.  He  met  w^ith  a  cordial  recep- 
tion and  both  of  the  girls  showed  by  their  manner  that 
they  were  really  glad  to  see  him,  and  at  once  made  him  feel 
perfectly  at  ease  and  as  if  he  were  with  friends  instead  of 
comparative  strangers. 

The  evening  was  pleasantly  spent  in  conversation  on 
topics  of  general  interest,  interspersed  with  vocal  and  in- 
strumental music  by  Ruth  and  Bertha,  who  were  excellent 
musicians.  Ruth  had  an  exceedingly  sweet  voice  which  had 
been  highly  cultivated,  and  sang  with  marked  expression, 
throwing  her  whole  soul  into  every   song  that   breathed  of 


JOIIN  ASHTON.  17 

tender  sentiment.  Ashton  was  very  fond  of  vocal  music 
and  Ruth's  singing  gave  him  intense  pleasure.  She  dis- 
played great  tact  and  consideration  in  the  selection  of  the 
songs  that  she  sang;  for  while  she  avoided  sinking  any- 
thing light  and  gay  that  would  have  been  entirely  out  of 
harmony  with  the  settled  sadness  of  his  feelings,  she  also 
refrained  from  singing  songs  that  told  of  suiTering  and  sor- 
row, which  would  naturally  have  reminded  Ashton  of  his 
own  grief,  and  sang  only  such  simple  lyrics  as  told  of  quiet 
joys  and  sweet  contentment  and  seemed  to  be  the  natural 
outgushings  of  hearts  at  peace  with  all  the  world. 

On  taking  leave  of  the  ladies,  Ashton  expressed  his  appre- 
ciation of  the  pleasure  that  his  visit  had  given  him,  and 
heartily  accepted  the  invitation  which  they  gave  him  to 
visit  them  often. 

While  returning  to  his  room,  and  after  arriving  there,  he 
allowed  his  mind  to  dwell  on  the  incidents  of  the  evening, 
the  marked  friendliness  of  Ruth  and  Bertha,  and  the  almost 
homelike  atmosphere  which  seemed  to  surround  him  when 
with  them,  and  realized  that  there  had  been  effected  a  com- 
plete change,  not  only  in  his  social  relations  but  also  in  his 
feelings.  He  almost  reproached  himself  for  allowing 
this  change  in  his  feelings  to  occur,  for  he  had  cherished 
his  sorrow  for  the  death  of  his  parents  so  long  and  absorb- 
ingly that  it  seemed  like  disloyalty  to  their  memory  to  let  it 
be  even  temporarily  displaced  by  any  pleasant  emotion.  He 
kne\v,  however,  that  he  was  not  dislo\'al  to  the  memory  of 
his  parents,  and  began  to  think  that,  perhaps,  the  manner 
m  which  he  had  previously  manifested  his  loyalty  to  their 
memory  was  a  mistaken  one  and  the  result  of  morbid  ideas 
on  the  subject.  And  yet,  he  did  not  regret  what  he  had 
done,  but  was  really  gratified  that  he  had  thus  acted,  as 
his  conduct  had  been  entirely  in  keeping  with  the  prompt- 
ings of  his  heart  and  the  result  of  his  deep  and  all-absorb- 
ing love  for  his  lost  ones.  Reaching  no  satisfactory  solu- 
tion of  the  matter  that  was  troubling  him,  he  fell  asleep 
pondering  on  it  and  speculating  as  to  what  would  probably 
be  the  consequences  of  his  changed  social  relations. 

About  a  week  later  he  again  visited  Ruth  and  Bertha  and 
experienced  a  repetition  of   the  quiet   enjoyment  that    had 


18  JOHN  ASHTON. 

rendered  his  first  viiit  so  agreeable.  Their  conversation 
took  a  wider  range  than  the  one  in  which  they  engaged  on 
bis  former  visit  had  taken,  and  he  was  surprised  and  grati- 
fied at  the  high  degree  of  culture  which  Ruth  had  attained, 
as  evinced  by  her  familiarity  with  nearly  all  of  the  best 
poets  and  standard  prose  authors,  an  accurate  knowledge 
of  history,  and  a  thorough  understanding  of  the  political 
questions  that  were  then  agitating  the  country  and  threat- 
ening to  disrupt  the  Union.  He  was  also  impressed  by  the 
clearness  and  precision  with  which  she  expressed  her  views 
on  every  subject  that  was  discussed,  and  naturally  inferred 
that  she  had  received  exceptionally  good  mental  training  to 
have    acquired    such   perspicuity  and   force  of  expression. 

Although  well-informed,  and  thoroughly  capable  of  giv- 
ing expression  to  her  knowledge,  she  was  not  in  the  slightest 
degree  pedantic,  and  invariably  gave  utterance  to  her 
thoughts  in  a  modest,  matter-of-fact  manner,  as  if  she 
were  stating  a  simple  truth  with  which  every  one  was  sup- 
posed to  be  familiar.  This  mental  modesty  and  absence  of 
display  was  very  pleasing  to  Ashton,  and  greatly  enhanced 
the  interest  that  he  felt  in  conversing  with  Ruth,  and  also 
increased  his  admiration  for  her  character.  Hence,  w^hen  he 
left  that  evening  there  was  in  his  mind  a  well-settled  pur- 
pose to  cultivate  her  acquaintance. 

Ashton's  next  visit  to  Ruth  and  Bertha  was  made  just 
after  South  Carolina's  secession  from  the  Union  on  Decem- 
ber 20th,  1860,  and  their  conversation  naturally  turned  to 
that  event  and  drifted  into  a  discussion  of  the  right  of 
secession,  the  causes  which  had  led  to  the  exercise  of  this 
right  by  South  Carolina  and  would  doubtless  induce  the 
other  Southern  States  to  follow  her  example,  and  also  the 
probable  results  that  would  ensue  in  consequence  thereof. 

Ashton,  of  course,  took  the  leading  part  in  this  discussion, 
but  Ruth's  familiarity  with  the  political  history  of  the 
United  States  and  her  intenseh^  Southern  sentiments  made 
her  an  appreciative  and  interested  listener  to  the  views 
expressed  by  him,  and  of  which  we  will  give  an  outline. 

His  theory  of  the  American  Government  was,  that  the 
Union  was  a  union  of  States,  as  such,  in  their  sovereign 
capacities,  under  the  appropriatenameof  the  "United  States 


JOHN  ASHTON.  19 

of  America,"  and  not  a  union  of  the  American  people;  that 
the  Constitution  adopted  by  these  States  in  forming  this 
union  was  a  solemn  compact  between  them  whereby  the 
General  Government  was  created  and  made  a  common  agent 
for  all  of  the  parties  to  the  compact,  and  by  which  the 
powers  delegated  to  this  agent  w^ere  distinctly  defined  and 
limited,  and  that  in  entering  the  Union  the  States  had  not 
surrendered  their  original  sovereignty,  but  had  merely 
intrusted  to  their  common  agent  certain  specified  rights  and 
powers  to  be  exercised  for  their  benefit  and  the  general 
welfare,  in  acccordance  with  their  joint  will  as  exjiressed  in 
the  instrument  creating  this  agent.  In  support  of  his 
theor3^  of  the  sovereignty  and  reserved  rights  of  the  States, 
he  spoke  of  the  formation  of  the  American  Government, 
and  mentioned  the  fact  that  the  Articles  of  Confederation 
under  which  the  original  thirteen  States  were  united,  de- 
clared that  "each  State  retains  its  sovereignty,  freedom, 
and  independence,  and  every  power,  jurisdiction  and  right 
which  is  not  by  this  Confederation  expressly  delegated  to 
the  United  States  in  congress  assembled,"  and  also  that  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States  provided  that  "the  pow- 
ers not  delegated  to  the  United  States  by  the  Constitu- 
tion, nor  prohibited  by  it  to  the  States,  are  reserved  to  the 
States  respectively,  or  to  the  people."  Thus  believing  in  the 
sovereignty  and  reserved  powers  of  the  States,  Ashton 
maintained  that  a  State  had  the  indisputable  right  to  w^ith- 
draw  from  the  Union  when  it  failed  to  accomplish  the 
objects  of  its  formation,  or  became  subversive  of  the 
rights,  or  injurious  to  the  interests  of  such  State,  and 
claimed  that  this  right  was  virtually  recognized  in  the 
formation  of  the  government,  by  the  fact  that  New  York, 
Rhode  Island  and  Virginia  entered  the  Union  on  the  express 
condition  that  they  should  be  free  to  retire  therefrom  and 
resume  their  separate  independence  whenever  they  found 
the  Union  inconvenient. 

In  further  support  of  the  right  of  secession,  he  referred  to 
its  exercise  by  the  colonies  in  severing  their  connection 
with  Great  Britain,  and  its  subsequent  unquestioned  and 
unmolested  exercise  by  each  of  the  States  in  withdrawing 
from  the  old  Confederation,  notwithstanding  the  declaration 


20  JOHN  ASHTON. 

contained  in  the  Articles  thereof  that  "the  Union  shall  be 
perpetual,"  and  also  the  fact  that  the  Constitution  adopted 
by  these  seceding  States  in  forming  the  new  Confederation 
or  Union,  neither  expressly  nor  impliedly  prohibited  to  such 
States  the  right  of  withdrawing  therefrom,  nor  gave  to 
the  General  Government  the  power  to  forcibly  prevent  such 
withdrawal. 

As  conclusive  evidence  of  the  fact  that  the  convention 
which  framed  the  Constitution  was  unalterably  opposed 
to  investing  the  General  Government  with  power  in  any 
form  to  control  or  coerce  a  State,  Ashton  referred  to  the 
emphatic  rejection  by  that  convention  of  each  and  all  of 
the  various  measures  offered  for  that  purpose,  and  quoted 
the  declaration  of  Alexnnder  Hamilton,  one  of  the  leading 
advocates  of  a  consolidated  government,  that  "to  coerce  a 
State  would  be  one  of  the  maddest  projects  ever  devised," 
and  also  that  of  John  Quincy  Adams  that  "the  indissolu- 
ble link  of  union  between  the  people  of  the  several  States  of 
this  confederated  nation  is,  after  all,  not  in  the  right  but  in 
the  heart. ^^ 

As  later  authority  of  other  eminent  Northern  men  on  the 
subject  under  consideration,  Ashton  quoted  the  statement 
of  William  Rawle,  of  Pennsylvania,  a  profound  lawyer  and 
an  able  expounder  of  the  Constitution,  that  the  right  of 
secession  "must  be  considered  an  ingredient  in  the  original 
composition  of  the  General  Government,  which,  though  not 
expressed,  was  mutually  understood,"  and  read  from  a 
copy  of  The  New  York  Tribune,  published  December  17th, 
1860,  and  just  received  by  him,  an  editorial  in  which  Mr. 
Horace  Greeley,  referring  to  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
said:  "If  it  justifies  the  secession  of  three  millions  of 
colonists  in  1776,  toe  do  not  see  why  it  would  not  justify  the 
secession  of  five  millions  of  Southerners  from  the  Federal  Union  in 
ISGir 

As  the  legitimate  result  of  his  reasoning  on  the  subject, 
as  we  have  outlined  it,  Ashton  deduced  the  conclusion  that 
to  each  State  belonged  the  right  of  peaceable  secession  for 
just  and  reasonable  cause,  and  that  such  State  was  the  sole 
judge  as  to  the  sufficiency  of  the  cause,  and  the  time  for 
the  exercise  of  this   right.    Hence,  in  speaking  of  the  with- 


JOIIN  ASHTON.  21 

drawal  of  South  Carolina  from  the  Union,  he  claimed  that 
she  had  thereby  simply  exercised  an  unquestionable  right, 
as  there  were  just  and  reasonable  causes  for  such  with- 
drawal, and  proceeded  to  enumerate  them.  Some  of  the 
causes  enumerated  by  him  were  as  follows:  The  unjust 
discriminations  which  the  General  Government  had  made 
against  the  Southern  States  by  providing  bounties  on  fish- 
eries for  the  benefit  of  the  New  England  States,  and  estab- 
lishing protective  tariffs  for  the  benefit  of  the  Northern  and 
Middle  States ;  the  passage  by  Congress  in  1821  of  an 
unconstitutional  law^,  known  as  "The  Missouri  Compro- 
mise," whereby  slavery  was  thereafter  prohibited  in 
all  territory  lying  north  of  latitude  36°  30'  from  the 
southern  boundary  line  of  Missouri  to  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
except  that  included  in  that  State,  this  legislation 
being  another  unjust  discrimination  against  the  South,  and 
indicating  a  purpose  on  the  part  of  the  North  to  appropri- 
ate the  greater  part  of  the  territory  belonging  to  the  United 
States;  the  continued  agitation  throughout  the  Northern 
States  of  a  desire  and  purpose  to  abolish  slavery  in  the 
South;  the  passage  by  most  of  these  States  of  anti-fugitive 
slave  laws  in  defiance  of  the  constitutional  provisions  pro- 
tecting the  right  of  property  of  slaveholders  in  their  slaves, 
and  the  consequently  frequent  and  unrestrained  stealing  of 
slaves  by  Northern  adventurers;  the  rapid  growth  and 
menacing  attitude  of  the  Free-soil  party  in  the  Northern 
States;  the  unjust  and  false  construction  given  by  leading 
politicians  of  the  North  to  the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill  of 
1854,  whereby,  under  the  theory  of  so-called  "squatter 
sovereignty,"  it  was  claimed  that  this  bill  authorized  the 
settlers,  as  such,  in  a  Territory  to  determine  whether  or  not 
slavery  should  exist  therein,  even  before  the  legal  require- 
ments and  prerequisites  for  its  organization  as  a  State  had 
been  met,  whereas,  under  a  just  and  constitutional  construc- 
tion of  the  bill,  such  Territory  could  not  prohibit  slavery 
therein  until  it  had  become  a  State;  the  generally  accepted 
theory  of  Northern  men  that  the  United  States  did  not  con- 
stitute a  Federal  Republic,  a  union  of  States  in  which  each 
State  had  the  right  to  regulate  its  own  institutions,  but 
that  they   formed    a    consolidated    national    Democracy  in 


22  JOHN  ASHTON. 

which  the  will  of  a  numerical  majority  was  the  supremelaw; 
the  persistent,  bitter  and  fanatical  denunciation  of  the  South 
bv  Northern  men  through  the  press  and  from  the  pulpit  on 
account  of  its  institution  of  slavery  ;  the  John  Brown  raid 
in  the  fall  of  1859,  in  which  that  infamous  ruffian  and  his 
associate  assassins,  invading  Virginia,  attempted  to  incite 
insurrection  among  the  slaves  of  the  State  and  precipitate  a 
civil  war,  and  especially  the  fanatical  hostility  manifested 
toward  the  South  by  Northern  people  in  attempting  to 
justify  this  treasonable  and  murderous  outrage,  and  com- 
mending the  conduct  of  its  villainous  perpetrators  and 
apotheosizing  their  still  more  villainous  leader;  and  finally, 
the  triumph  of  a  purely  sectional  party,  of  which  Wendell 
Phillips,  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  prominent  of  the 
abolitionists,  had  said :  "It  is  the  first  sectional  party  ever 
*  rganized  in  this  country.  It  does  not  know  its  own  face, 
and  calls  itself  national;  but  it  is  not  national— it  is  sec- 
tional. The  Republican  party  is  a  party  of  the  North 
pledged  against  the  South";  and  the  election  to  the  presi- 
dency of  Abraham  Lincoln,  another  noted  abolitionist,  on 
a  platform  of  principles  inimical  to  the  South,  and  who,  in 
common  with  W.  H.  Seward,  held  that  "The  United  States 
could  not  exist  part  free  and  part  slave;  that  there  was  an 
irrepressible  conflict  between  the  two  systems;  and  that 
slavery  in  the  States  must  be  put  under  a  process  of 
extinction." 

Ashton  stated  that  he  was  confident  that  the  other 
Southern  States  would  follow  the  example  of  South  Caro- 
lina and  withdraw  from  the  Union,  especiallj' in  view  of  the 
indications  that  the  Republican  majority  in  Congress  (then 
in  session)  would  reject  all  measures  providing  for  a  pacific 
settlement  of  the  pending  national  difficulties.  One  of  these 
measures,  known  as  "The  Crittenden  Compromise,"  was 
then  pending  in  the  Senate,  and  had  been  referred  to  a 
special  committee  composed  of  five  Republican  senators, 
five  Southern  senators  and  three  Northern  Democratic 
senators.  This  measure  was  intended  to  provide  for  the 
adoption  ot  amendments  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  prohibiting  slavery  in  all  Territories  north  of  lati- 
tude   36°     30'    and    protecting    it    south     of     that     lati- 


JOHN  ASHTON.  23 

tude;  denying  the  power  of  Congress  to  abolish  slavery 
in  the  District  of  Columbia,  or  in  ports,  arsenals,  dock- 
yards or  any  other  place  where  the  General  Govern- 
ment exercised  jurisdiction  ;  and  providing  for  remuneration 
to  the  owners  of  escaped  slaves  by  communities  in  which 
the  Federal  laws  that  provided  for  the  restitution  of  such 
slaves  might  be  violently  obstructed.  The  acceptance  of 
the  proposed  measure  by  the  South  would  really  have 
been  a  surrender  of  her  position  on  the  slavery  question, 
and  a  renunciation  of  her  rights  under  the  Constitution,  as 
affirmed  by  the  Supreme  Court,  for  that  tribunal  had,  in  the 
case  of  Dred  Scott,  vs.  J.  F.  A.  Stanford,  already  decided 
that  a  slaveowner  had  the  right  to  take  such  property  into 
any  of  the  Territories,  while  this  measure  prohibited  such 
right  in  the  larger  part  of  the  common  territory  of  the 
United  States,  and  merely  permitted  its  exercise  in  the 
remainder  thereof.  And  \^et,  so  anxious  were  the  Southern 
senators  and  the  people  of  the  South  to  effect  a  final  settle- 
ment of  the  slavery  question,  and  avert  a  disruption  of  the 
Union,  that  they  would  have  willingly  accepted  the  pro- 
posed settlement  if  an  opportunity  for  so  doing  had  been 
offered  them.  But  this  was  not  done,  for  the  committee 
having  the  measure  under  consideration,  took  action  at  its 
first  meeting,  on  December  21st,  whereby  it  was  "resolved 
that  no  proposition  shall  be  reported  as  adopted,  unless 
sustained  by  a  majority  of  each  of  the  classes  of  the  com- 
mittee; senators  of  the  Republican  party  to  constitute  one 
class,  and  senators  of  the  other  parties  to  constitute  the 
other  class";  and  when  the  measure  was  finally  voted  on 
by  the  committee  it  was  defeated,  as  every  one  of  the 
Republican  senators  voted  against  it. 

It  was  subsequently  defeated  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives by  a  solid  Republican  vote,  and  thus,  by  the  leaders 
and  representatives  of  that  "sectional  party,"  was  all  hope 
of  preserving  the  Union  destroyed.  The  responsibility  of 
this  result  and,  consequently,  of  the  subsequent  disruption 
of  the  Union,  was  at  the  time  ascribed  to  the  Republican 
party  by  a  prominent  Northern  man;  for  Senator  Stephen 
A.  Douglas,  in  addressing  the  Senate  a  few  days  after  the 
committee  of  thirteen  had  reported  their  inability  to  "agree 


24  JOHN  ASHTON. 

Upon  any  general  plan  of  adjustment,"  said:  "If  you  of 
the  Republican  side  are  not  willing  to  accept  this  (a  propo- 
sition of  his  own),  nor  the  proposition  of  the  senator  from 
Kentucky  (Mr.  Crittenden),  pray  tell  us  what  you  are  will- 
ing to  do?  I  address  the  inquiry  to  the  Republicans  alone, 
for  the  reason,  that  in  the  committee  of  thirteen,  a  few 
days  ago,  every  member  from  the  South,  including  those 
from  the  Cotton  States  (Messrs.  Toombs  and  Davis), 
expressed  their  readiness  to  accept  the  proposition  of  my 
venerable  friend  from  Kentucky  (Mr.  Crittenden), as  a  final 
settlement  of  the  controversy,  if  tendered  and  sustained  by 
the  Republican  members.  Plence,  the  sole  responsibility  of 
our  disagreement,  and  the  only  difficulty  in  the  way  of  an 
amicable  adjustment,  is  with  the  Republican  party." 

Although  Ashton  believed  that  the  Southern  States  could 
lawfully  withdraw  from  the  Union,  and  had  just  cause  for 
so  doing,  he  thought  that  it  would  be  impolitic  for  them  to 
do  so  at  that  time,  or  before  some  flagrant  violation  of 
their  constitutional  rights  should  be  attempted  by  the 
party  in  power,  and  expressed  the  opinion  that  the  Western 
States  would  doubtless  espouse  their  cause  if  any  such 
invasion  of  their  rights  should  be  attempted  while  they 
remained  in  the  Union,  as  such  invasion  would  be  not  only 
an  act  of  oppression  to  the  South,  but  also  a  menace  to  the 
rights  of  every  State  in  the  Union. 

However,  neither  he  nor  his  listeners  hoped  that  this  wait- 
ing policy  would  be  pursued  by  the  Southern  States,  and 
they  confidently  anticipated  the  disruption  of  the  Union, 
and  greatly  deplored  the  disastrous  consequences  that 
would  doubtless  result  therefrom,  as  they  believed  that  it 
would  be  followed  by  a  civil  war  with  all  of  its  attendant 
horrors. 

Ashton  informed  Ruth  and  Bertha  that,  in  the  event  of  a 
war  between  the  States,  he  would  return  to  Virginia  and 
enlist  in  some  home  regiment,  as  he  preferred  this  to  enlist- 
ment in  a  Georgia  regiment  where  he  would  be  among 
almost  entire  strangers. 

As  the  weeks  passed  by,  Ashton's  visits  to  Ruth  Middle- 
ton  became  more  frequent.  His  visits  are  represented  as 
being  made  to  Ruth,  because  Bertha  generally  managed  to 


JOHN  AS  ETON.  25 

excuse  herself  shortly  after  his  arrival,  and  thus  left  him 
and  Ruth  alone  as  much  as  possible.  Her  reason  for  this 
was  the  fact  that  she  had  noticed  his  increasing  interest  in 
Ruth's  society  and,  moreover,  had  her  heart  set  on  the  real- 
ization of  her  prediction  as  to  the  consequences  of  their 
romantic  meeting. 

And  now  let  us  see  what  were  the  prospects  for  its  reali- 
zation as  indicated  by  the  relations  existing  between  the 
subjects  of  it.  Ashton's  interest  in  and  admiration  for 
Ruth  had  constantly  increased,  but  thus  far  had  developed 
no  warmer  sentiment  than  that  of  pure  and  confiding 
friendship,  based  on  the  superior  mental  qualities,  womanly 
virtues  and  sympathetic  nature  that  characterized  her,  and 
rendered  her  exceedingly  interesting  and  companionable. 
He  had  often  thought  of  how  thoroughly  qualified  she  was 
to  fill  and  adorn  woman's  true  and  highest  sphere — the 
home  circle — but  in  so  doing  considered  her  objectively,  and 
as  the  wife  of  some  ideal  man  who  would  understand  and 
appreciate  her  exalted  worth  and  also  be  worthy  of  her, 
and  did  not  think  of  himself  as  that  highly  favored  person. 
This  may  have  partly  resulted  from  his  modesty,  but  it 
was  principally  caused  by  the  fact  that  he  had  not  yet 
recovered  from  the  effects  of  his  great  bereavement,  and  as 
his  heart  was  filled  with  the  sorrow  which  his  affliction  had 
brought  him,  there  was  in  it  no  place  for  the  joy ousness  that 
springs  from  love,  and  he  still  felt  that  in  a  measure  he 
would  be  disloyal  to  his  love  of  the  dead  if  he  should  allow 
love  for  the  living  to  take  possession  of  his  heart. 

Ruth  fully  understood  his  feelings,  and  never  for  a 
■moment  misconstrued  his  attentions  to  her.  She  knew 
that  they  were  purely  of  a  friendly  character,  and  was 
fully  confirmed  in  the  opinion  expressed  to  Bertha,  that 
until  Ashton  was  freed  from  the  domination  of  his  great 
sorrow  he  was  not  likely  to  love  any  woman,  and  she 
knew  that  this  time  had  not  3'et  arrived.  Hence,  while  she 
felt  a  deep  interest  in  him  and  admired  him  more  than  she 
had  ever  admired  any  other  man,  she  had  not  allowed  her- 
self to  think  of  him  in  the  light  of  a  lover  and,  of  course, 
had  not  given  him  her  love.  Even  if  she  had  not  felt  sure 
that  his  attentions  resulted  entirely  from  his  friendship  for 


26  JOHN  ASHTON. 

her,  and  that  his  mind  had  not  even  turned  to  thoughts  of 
love,  her  womanly  modesty  would  have  kept  her  own  heart 
whole,  and  she  would  not  have  assumed  that  he  loved  her; 
for  her  theory  in  matters  of  this  kind  was,  that  a  woman 
had  no  right  to  believe  that  a  man  loved  her  until  he  had 
declared  his  love. 

Hence  it  would  seem  that  there  was  no  immediate  pros- 
pect for  the  realization  of  Bertha's  prediction  as  to  the 
ha-p^y  finale  of  the  romantic  beginning  of  Ruth's  acquaint- 
ance with  Ashton. 

Several  months  had  passed  since  this  acquaintance  began, 
and  they  marked  an  important  epoch  in  Ashton's  life. 
Through  the  medium  of  Ruth's  enlivening  and  yet  soothing 
influence,  he  had  been  drawn  out  of  himself,  and  led  to 
think  less  absorbingly  of  his  sad  bereavement  and  take  an 
interest  in  other  persons  and  things  beside  his  clients  and 
his  professional  duties.  At  her  solicitation  he  had  several 
times  appeared  in  society,  and  every  one  who  met  him  was 
favorably  impressed  by  the  easy  dignity  and  winning 
affability  of  his  manners,  and  the  brilliancy  and  force  of 
his  conversation.  He  had  continued  to  visit  Ruth  fre- 
quently, and  during  his  visits  often  had  her  to  sing  for  him, 
and,  as  on  the  evening  of  his  first  visit,  she  tried  to  adapt 
her  songs  to  the  condition  of  his  feelings  at  the  time.  He 
was  most  pleased  with  simple  lyrics  that  told  of  homely 
experiences  and  portrayed  scenes  of  rural  life,  as  they 
brought,  as  it  were,  on  the  wings  of  harmony,  the  sight  of 
green  fields  and  babbling  brooks,  the  scent  of  wild  flowers 
and  the  songs  of  birds  which  cheered  and  soothed  his  heart. 
Among  these  were  several  Scotch  songs  which  Ruth  sang 
with  great  expression  and  tenderness,  and  Ashton  always 
experienced  a  feeling  of  sweet  contentment  while  listening 
to  them.  Indeed,  the  cheering  and  soothing  effect  of  her 
singing  was  more  than  momentary,  and  its  influence  on 
Ashton  was  such  as  to  greatly  aid  in  relieving  his  mind 
from  the  gloom  of  grief  which  enwrapped  it  when  Ruth 
first  met  him.  Thus,  since  that  time,  the  enlivening  and 
soothing  influences  growing  out  of  Ruth's  companionship 
had  gradually  lessened  Ashton's  sorrow  and  partially 
restored  his  cheerfulness. 


JOHN  ASUTON.  21 


CHAPTER  III. 

It  was  now  the  middle  of  April,  1861.  Fort  Sutnter  had 
surrendered  to  the  Confederate  forces  under  General  Beaure- 
gard at  Charleston.  The  efforts  of  conservative  men  North 
and  South  to  prevent  a  war  between  the  sections  had 
failed,  and  hostilities  had  actually  begun.  Ashton's  own 
State,  Virginia,  had  exhausted  all  honorable  means  to 
effect  a  reconciliation  between  the  General  Government  and 
her  Southern  sisters.  South  Carolina,  Mississippi,  Alabama 
Florida,  Georgia,  Louisiana  and  Texas,  who  had  seceded  in 
the  order  named  ;  but  her  efforts  had  been  fruitless  and  on 
the  day  before  (April  17th),  a  convention  of  delegates 
chosen  by  the  people  of  Virginia  had  passed  an  ordinance 
resuming  the  separate  independence  of  the  State,  and  this 
act  of  secession  needed  only  the  ratification  of  the  people  to 
effectually  sever  her  connection  with  the  United  States . 

On  learning  that  Virginia  had  seceded,  Ash  ton  determined 
to  immediately  carry  out  his  previously  expressed  purpose 
of  enlisting  in  some  one  of  her  regiments,  and  that  day 
repaired  to  the  home  of  Ruth  Middleton  to  inform  her  of 
his  contemplated  action.  He  told  her  that  as  soon  as  he 
could  arrange  for  his  departure  he  would  leave  for  Vir- 
ginia, and  on  his  arrival  there  cast  his  lot  among  the  sol- 
diers of  his  own  State,  for  the  reasons  which  he  had  pre- 
viously expressed. 

She  approved  the  decision  that  he  had  made,  and  fully 
appreciated  the  reasons  why  he  had  not  already  connected 
himself  with  a  Georgia  regiment.  After  conversing  with 
her  a  short  while  and  expressing  his  appreciation  of  the 
pleasures  and  benefits  which  he  had  derived  from  her 
society,  and  thanking  her  for  the  friendly  interest  which 
she  had  manifested  in  him,  he  left  her  with  the  expressed 
hope  that  he  would  be  enabled  to  see  her  several  times 
before  his  departure. 

During  the  ensuing  week,  Ashton  arranged  his  affairs 
with  reference  to  an  indefinite  absence,  disposing  of  his 
library  and  turning  over  all  of  his  law  business  to  an 
elderly  member  of  the  bar,  who  was  phj-sicall^^  unfitted  for 


28  JOHN  ASHTON. 

military  service,  and  hence  did  not  expect  to  enter  the  army. 
In  the  meantime  he  had  frequently  visited  Ruth,  and  the 
satisfying  pleasures  incident  to  these  visits,  combined  with 
the  constantly  recurring  thought  that  he  would  so  soon 
lose  the  elevating  and  cheering  influence  of  her  companion- 
ship, greatly  increased  his  interest  in  and  admiration  for 
her.  This  was  perfectly  natural  according  to  the  principle 
embodied  in  the  old  saying  that  "blessings  brighten  as  they 
take  their  flight." 

Ashton  fully  realized  its  truth  in  the  experience  through 
which  he  was  passing,  and  was  thereby  led  to  indulge  in 
such  introspection  as  caused  a  more  thorough  analysis  of 
his  feelings  for  Ruth  than  any  he  had  previously  made. 
Indeed,  up  to  this  time  he  had  made  no  especial  analysis  of 
his  feelings  for  her,  as  he  had  thought  of  her  only  as  a  dear 
and  valued  friend  and  a  true  and  noble  woman  whose  life 
had  incidentally  touched  his  own  and  made  him  a  broader, 
better  and  happier  man.  While  the  recollection  of  the  in- 
fluence which  she  had  thus  exerted  over  him  was  a  good  rea- 
son for  the  great  regret  which  he  experienced  in  having  so 
soon  to  leave  her,  he  began  to  question  himself  as  to 
whether  it  sufficiently  explained  the  feeling  of  intense  sad- 
ness and  the  depressing  sense  of  approaching  loneliness  that 
had  taken  possession  of  his  heart  in  view  of  his  coming 
separation  from  her.  He  could  not  believe  that  it  did,  and 
the  more  thoroughly  he  analyzed  his  feelings,  the  more 
clearly  it  appeared  to  him  that  his  interest  in  Ruth  Middle- 
ton  was  inore  than  a  friendly  one,  that  the  wants  of  his 
nature,  which  had  been  so  fully  met  by  her  companionship, 
could  not  have  been  thus  satisfied  by  the  societ}-  of  even 
the  most  sympathetic  friend,  and  that  the  warm  and 
increasing  admiration  for  her  which  her  many  charms  had 
awakened  and  nourished  in  his  heart,  was  warmer  and  ten- 
derer than  the  most  devoted  friendship  and  must  be  nothing 
less  than  love.  This  conclusion  startled  and  perplexed  him, 
for  he  had  never  anticipated  the  situation  in  which  it 
placed  him,  and  was  in  doubt  as  to  how  he  should  act  in 
the  light  of  the  revelation  which  he  had  thus  experienced. 
His  first  inclination  was  to  follow  the  promptings  of  self- 
interest  and  immediately  declare  his  love  for  Ruth,  and  seek 


JOHN  ASIITON.  29 

to  win  liers  in  return,  especially  as  he  was  about  to  leave 
her  for  an  indefinite  period,  and  hence  would  not  be  present 
to  compete  with  any  rival  who  might  appear  as  a  suitor  for 
her  heart  and  hand ;  but  the  very  thought  of  his  early 
departure  for  the  army  awakened  the  nobler  impulses  of 
bis  nature  and  led  him  to  the  conclusion  that  it  would  be 
better,  less  selfish,  and  more  in  harmony  with  real  love  to 
defer  the  declaration  of  his  affection  for  her,  as  he  could 
now  offer  her  only  his  love,  and  iij  a  few  days  would  have 
to  leave  her  for  scenes  of  strife  and  danger,  the  thought  of 
which  would  naturally  distress  her,  and  among  which 
there  might  be  awaiting  him  a  speedy  death  that  would 
sadden  and  becloud  her  life  if  she  reciprocated  his  love. 

The  conclusion  thus  reached  by  Ashton  was  strengthened 
by  the  thought  that  possibly  his  love  for  Ruth  was  not  all 
that  it  should  be  in  warmth,  depth  and  strength  to  consti- 
tute a  sure  basis  for  a  perfectly  happy  marriage,  and  that 
the  stress  upon  his  feelings  occasioned  by  the  circumstances 
of  his  approaching  separation  from  her,  and  his  depressed 
condition,  might  have  caused  him  to  misunderstand  and 
exaggerate  his  regard  for  her.  Having  formed  the  resolu- 
tion that  he  would  not,  at  this  time,  declare  his  love,  he 
strictly  adhered  to  it,  although  he  often  found  great  diffi- 
culty in  so  doing.  However,  he  did  not  fully  succeed  in 
concealing  his  love,  for  at  times  the  inner  nature  broke 
through  the  restraints  put  upon  it  by  the  outer  man,  and 
Ruth  caught  occasional  glimpses  in  his  tell-tale  eyes  of  a 
softer  and  more  magnetic  light  than  any  she  had  ever 
before  seen  there. 

Without  the  slightest  conceit  or  lack  of  modesty,  and 
simply  by  means  of  herwomanly  instincts  and  that  indefina- 
ble agency  that  communicates  thought  and  feeling  without 
the  aid  of  speech,  she  realized  that  Ashton  loved  her. 
Although  the  thought  was  pleasant  to  her,  she  gave  no 
sign  of  gratification  or  embarrassment;  for  she  felt  con- 
fident that  he  was  endeavoring  to  conceal  his  love,  and 
believed  that  she  understood  his  motives  for  so  doing  and, 
considering  them  from  his  point  of  view,  approved  them. 
The  realization  of  the  fact  that  Ashton  loved  her  was 
seemingly  inconsistent  with  her  theory    that  a  woman  had 


30  JOHN  ASHTON. 

no  right  to  believe  that  a  man  loved  her  until  he  had 
declared  his  love;  but  she  reconciled  the  apparent  inconsist- 
ency between  her  theory  and  her  experience  in  this  instance, 
by  the  reflection  that  so  far  as  her  feelings  and  conduct  were 
concerned,  there  would  be  no  real  difference  as  to  results,  its 
she  determined  to  control  the  former  and  regulate  the  latter 
in  such  manner  that  she  would  not  be  sensibly  affected  by 
the  discovery  of  Ashton's  love,  and  he  would  not  know  that 
she  had  discovered  it.  This  purpose  was  all  the  more 
readily  formed  in  consequence  of  the  fact  that  she  was  con- 
fident that  Ashton  was  endeavoring  to  conceal  his  love  for 
reasons  which,  as  before  stated,  she  approved. 

Matters  between  them  were  in  this  condition  when  he 
made  his  final  visit  on  the  evening  before  his  departure  for 
Virginia.  The  occasion  was  to  both  of  them  a  sad  one  and 
their  parting  was  especially  trying  to  Ashton,  as  he  found 
great  difficulty  in  overcoming  an  almost  irresistible  im- 
pulse to  declare  his  love.  By  a  strong  effort  he  restrained 
his  feelings  and  overcame  this  impulse,  and  at  last  with  a 
forced  calmness,  which  had  almost  the  appearance  of  cold- 
ness or  indifference,  he  bade  Ruth  good-bye. 

On  the  following  morning  he  left  for  Virginia,  and  in  due 

time  arrived   at  the  town  of   T ,   near  which   was  his 

former  home.  He  found  that  the  citizens  of  the  place  and 
of  the  surrounding  country  were  thoroughly  aroused  to  a 
sense  of  the  danger  that  threatened  Virginia  as  one  of  the 
border  States,  and  therefore  liable  to  be  first  invaded  by  the 
Federal  army;  and  in  consequence  thereof  they  were  taking 
prompt  action  to  furnish  their  quota  of  troops  to  repel  the 
anticipated  invasion. 

On   the  day  after  Ashton's  arrival   at  T ,   he  learned 

that  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  the  county  had  been  called 
for  that  day  at  the  court-house,  for  the  purpose  of  organ- 
izing a  cavalry  company  which  w^onld  immediately  offer  its 
services  to  Governor  Letcher  with  a  view  to  joining  the 
Virginia  forces  that  he  was  then  raising  for  the  defense  of 
the  State.  At  the  hour  appointed  for  the  meeting,  Ashton 
repaired  to  the  court-house,  and  finding  that  several  promi- 
nent men  of  his  acquaintance  were  leading  spirits  in  the 
enterprise,  he  promptly  responded  when  the  call  for  volun- 


JO  UN  ASHTON.  81 

teers  was  made,  and  later  in  the  day  took  an  active  part  in 
the  organization  of  tlie  company,  which,  in  honor  of  one 
of  Virginia's  greatest  men,  was  called  "The  Jefferson  Hus- 
sars." Owing  to  the  prominent  position  which  his  father 
had  occupied  in  the  county,  and  the  fact  that  Ashton  was 
known  to  be  a  brave  and  intelligent  man,  he  would  have 
been  elected  first  lieutenant  of  the  company  if  he  had  not 
declined  any  office,  stating  that  he  preferred  to  serve  as  a 
private  soldier.  Soon  after  its  organization,  the  company 
reported  for  service  and  became  a  part  of  the  State  forces 
tinder  General  R.  E.  Lee. 

During  the  following  month  the  State  loccame  a  member 
of  the  Confederacy  and  these  troops  w;  re  transferred  to 
the  new  government.  It  might  be  interesting,  but  it  is 
unnecessary,  to  give  an  account  of  the  movements  of  the 
company  which  Ashton  had  joined,  and  of  his  own  personal 
experience  during  the  next  fifteen  months  of  the  war. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  company  took  part  in  General 
Lee's  campaign  in  Western  Virginia,  was  with  Ashby  under 
General  Jackson  in  "The  Valley"  and  came  with  the  latter  in 
his  forced  march  to  join  General  Beauregard  at  Centreville 
and  took  part  in  the  first  battle  of  Manassas,  was  subse- 
quently transferred  to  General  J.  E  B.  Stuart's  command 
and  from  that  time  rendered  efficient  service  as  part  of  the 
Ninth  Virginia  Cavalry. 

This  regiment  was  one  of  the  three  Virginia  regiments, 
which,  in  conjunction  with  two  squadrons  of  the  Jeff. 
Davis  Legion  and  a  part  of  the  Stuart  Horse  Artillery,  con- 
stituted the  force  with  which  General  Stuart  made  his 
famous  "ride  around  McClellan"  on  the  13th,  14th,  and 
15th  of  June,  1862,  while  the  Federal  army  was  preparing 
for  an  attack  on  Richmond  from  the  direction  of  the 
Chickahominy  river,  and  the  Jefferson  Hussars  did  their 
full  duty  in  this  daring  and  unprecedented  exploit.  The 
expedition  was  one  that  afforded  opportunities  for  exhibi- 
tions of  individual  courage  and  prowess,  and  in  several 
instances  Ashton's  gallantry  was  so  conspicuous  that  it 
attracted  the  attention  and  received  the  commendation  of 
the  commanding  general. 


32  JOHN  ASHTON. 

After  the  seven  days'  fighting  around  Richmond,  the 
retreat  of  General  McClellan,  and  the  defeat  of  General 
Pope  at  Cedar  Run  on  August  9th,  1862,  the  Federal  army 
under  the  latter  general  was  concentrated  in  Culpeper 
county  between  the  Rapidan  and  Rappahannock  rivers.  As 
General  Lee  had  reason  to  believe  that  General  Pope's  army 
was  being  increased  and  there  was  no  indication  of  an 
attack  on  Richmond  from  the  direction  of  the  Peninsula, 
he  decided  to  advance  on  Pope,  and  about  the  middle  of 
August  arranged  the  plan  of  the  contemplated  movement. 
General  Longstreet's  corps  was  to  cross  the  Rapidan  at 
Raccoon  Ford,  General  Jackson's  corps  was  to  cross  at 
Somerville  Ford  and  both  commands,  together  with  the 
artillery,  were  to  move  toward  Culpeper  Court-house, 
while  the  cavalry,  tinder  General  Stuart,  was  to  cross  the 
Rapidan  at  Morton's  Ford,  proceed  to  Rappahannock  Sta- 
tion, destroy  the  railroad  bridge  and  cut  the  telegraph  wire 
at  that  place,  and  operate  toward  Culpeper  Court-house, 
taking  position  on  General  Longstreet's  right.  This  move- 
ment was  appointed  for  August  18th,  but,  owing  to  a  fail- 
ure to  complete  the  necessary  preparations,  it  had  to  be 
postponed  until  the  20th  and  the  order  directing  it  was  not 
issued  until  the  19th.  General  Stuart  had  previously 
received  secret  instructions  as  to  the  part  he  was  to  take  in 
the  movement,  and  in  accordance  therewith,  on  August  16th, 
directed  General  Fit7,hugh  Lee  to  proceed  with  his  brigade 
to  the  vicinity  of  Raccoon  Ford,  where  he  promised  to 
meet  him  on  the  17th. 

General  Stuart  reached  Verdierville,  near  Raccoon  Ford, 
on  the  evening  of  August  17th,  but  General  Fitzhugh  Lee's 
brigade  had  not  arrived.  He  remained  at  Verdierville  that 
night,  awaiting  the  arrival  of  Lee's  brigade,  and  as  a  result 
thereof  narrowly  escaped  capture.  The  weather  being 
warm,  he  slept  that  night  on  the  floor  of  a  porch  near  the 
roadside,  with  his  cloak  for  his  bed.  About  dawn  he  was 
aroused  by  the  sound  of  approaching  horses  and  wagons, 
and  walked  out  bareheaded  to  the  fence  near  by  and  dis- 
covered that  they  were  coming  from  the  direction  from  which 
he  expected  General  Fitzhugh  Lee.  Although  he  believed  that 
the  noise  was  made  by  the  approach  of  Lee's  brigade,   he 


JOUN  ASUrON.  33 

took  the  precaution  to  send  Captain  John  S.  Mnsbj  and 
Lieutenant  Gibson  to  ascertain  the  truth  of  the  matter  and 
was  soon  undeceived  by  the  speedy  return  of  these  officers, 
who  were  fired  at  and  rapidly  pursued  by  a  force  of  Fed- 
eral cavalry.  Hastily  mounting  his  horse,  General  Stuart, 
together  with  Major  Van  Borke  and  Lieutenant  Dabney, 
of  his  staff,  succeeded  in  escaping  by  leaping  a  high  fence, 
but  his  hat  and  cloak  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
General  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade  did  not  arrive  until  the 
night  of  August  18th,  and  was  not  in  a  condition  to  make 
a  forced  march  on  the  19th.  Moreover, in  accordance  with 
instructions  received  by  General  Stuart  from  General  R.  E. 
Lee,  the  19th  was  devoted  to  rest  and  preparation  for  the 
movement  which  was  to  begin  on  the  20th.  This  move- 
ment had  been  admirably  planned,  and  if  it  could  have  been 
commenced  on  August  18th,  as  originally  contemplated, 
would  have  placed  the  Confederate  army  between  the  Fed- 
ral  army  and  its  reinforcements  then  coming  up  from  Fred- 
ericksburg and  Acquia  Creek,  and  also  from  Alexandria  by 
way  of  Manassas  Junction,  and  the  result  would  have  been 
the  certain  defeat  and  probable  destruction  of  Pope's 
army.  But  on  the  morning  of  August  18th,  one  of  Pope's 
spies,  who  had  been  with  the  Confederate  army,  reported 
to  him  General  Lee's  contemplated  movement;  and  its 
unavoidable  postponement,  for  the  reason  before  men- 
tioned, gave  Pope  time  to  withdraw  his  army  behind  the 
Rappahannock.  This  he  did  and  had  made  a  successful 
retreat  to  the  north  bank  of  that  stream  before  the  move- 
ment began  on  the  morning  of  August  20th. 

General  Stuart  had  with  him  Generals  B.  H.  Robertson's 
and  Fit/chugh  Lee's  brigades  (Ashton's  regiment  being  at 
this  time  a  part  of  the  latter  brigade),  and  after  crossing 
the  Rapidan  the  former,  accompanied  by  General  Stuart, 
pushed  forward  to  Brandy  Station,  while  the  latter  moved 
rapidly  to  Kelly's  and  Ellis  Fords  on  the  Rappahannock, 
and  had  a  successful  skirmish  with  the  rear  of  the  retreat- 
ing Federal  cavalry  near  Kelly's  Ford.  General  Stuart  with 
Robertson's  brigade  attacked  the  Federal  cavalry  near 
Brandy  Station  and  drove  them  back  to  the  Rappahannock, 
where  they  were  protected  by  their  artillery  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river. 

3 


B4  JOHN  ASHTON. 

On  August  22d,  while  a  portion  of  the  Stuart  Horse 
Artillery,  under  Captain  John  Pelham,  was  engaged  with 
the  Federal  artillery  at  Freeman's  Ford  on  the  Rappahan- 
nock, General  Stuart  received  a  note  from  General  Lee  ap- 
proving a  proposition  that  he  had  made  to  strike  the  enemy's 
rear  with  cavalry  and  endeavor  to  cut  his  communication 
with  Washington,  and  he  at  once  began  the  execution  of 
the  plan.  With  about  fifteen  hundred  men,  consisting  of 
Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade,  part  of  Robertson's  brigade  and  two 
pieces  of  artillery,  heproceeded  through  Jefifersonton  and 
crossed  the  Rappahannock  at  Waterloo  Bridge  and  Hart's 
Mills,  and  reached  Warrenton.  From  this  point  he  began  his 
march  to  the  rear  of  Cedar  Run  for  the  purpose  of  destroying 
the  railroad  bridge  over  that  stream  near  Catlett's  Station 
and  the  telegraph  wire  there,  thus  cutting  the  enemy's  line 
of  communication  with  Washington.  Riding  for  hours 
through  a  terrific  storm,  the  command  arrived  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Catlett's  Station  after  dark,  captured  the  Federal 
picket  and  soon  thereafter  unexpectedly  rode  into  the  midst 
of  the  enemy's  encampment. 

As  the  storm  was  still  in  progress  and  the  night  intensely 
dark,  General  Stuart  could  not  distinguish  his  surroundings, 
and  his  position  w^as  exceedingly  critical.  At  this  moment 
a  negro  who  had  previously  known  General  Stuart  was 
captured  and  brought  before  him.  On  recognizing  Stuart, 
the  negro  informed  him  of  the  location  of  General  Pope's 
staff,  baggage,  horses,  etc.,  and  offered  to  guide  him  to 
where  they  were.  Accepting  the  offer,  General  Stuart 
promptly  decided  to  send  forward  a  regiment  to  capture 
Pope's  staff,  and  the  Ninth  Virginia,  under  Colonel  W.  H. 
F.  Lee,  was  selected  for  the  purpose.  Following  their 
guide,  Colonel  Lee  and  his  gallant  regiment  marched  boldly 
forward  through  the  drenching  rain  and  dismal  darkness 
until  within  a  few  paces  of  the  tents  occupied  by  Pope's 
staff,  and  then  dashing  forward  at  a  gallop,  charged  the 
Federal  camp  and  in  a  few  moments  were  in  complete 
possession  of  the  same,  having  captured  several  hxxndredi 
prisoners  (many  of  whom  were  oflicers),  General  Pope's 
baggage,  horses  and  equipments,  and  a  large  quantity  of 
other  property. 


JOHN  AS  ETON.  35 

Ashtoti  was  among  the  first  to  reach  Pope's  headquarters 
and,  in  addition  to  securing  several  prisoners,  captured 
some  of  General  Pope's  private  papers,  among  which  was 
his  dispatch-book,  containing  copies  of  his  official  corres- 
pondence with  the  Federal  Government,  General  Stuart 
promptly  forwarded  these  papers  to  General  Lee,  and  the 
dispatch-book  proved  to  be  of  the  greatest  value  to  the 
latter.  It  contained  information  of  the  strength  and  move- 
ments of  Pope's  army,  confirmed  the  information  previ- 
oush'-  received  by  General  Lee  as  to  Pope's  expected  rein- 
forcements, and  disclosed  the  fact  that  a  part  of  General 
McClellan's  army  had  marched  to  join  Pope,  that  the  re- 
mainder would  soon  follow,  and  that  the  greater  part  of 
General  Cox's  army  had  been  withdrawn  from  the  Kana- 
wha Valley  for  the  same  purpose.  This  information  en- 
abled General  Lee  to  act  promptly  and  efficiently  in  the  dis- 
position of  his  troops  in  such  manner  as  to  prevent  the 
arrival  of  these  expected  reinforcements  in  time  for  them  to 
aid  Pope  in  the  second  battle  of  Manassas,  which  Lee 
forced  on  him  a  few  days  thereafter;  and  the  first  step 
taken  by  General  Lee  in  the  matter  was  the  sending  of  Gen- 
eral Jackson  on  his  famous  flank  movement  by  means  of 
which  he  got  in  Pope's  rear,  cut  his  communications  with 
Washington  and  captured  his  principal  depot  of  supplies 
at  Manassas  Junction,  as  will  hereinafter  more  fully 
appear. 

Immediately  after  the  capture  of  the  Federal  camp  where 
Pope's  headquarters  had  been  located.  Colonels  L.  T.  Brien 
and  T.  L.  Rosser,  with  the  First  and  Fifth  Virginia  cavalry, 
attacked  another  camp  beyond  the  Orange  and  Alexandria 
railroad,  but  the  Federals  extinguished  the  lights  in  the 
camp  at  the  first  shot  of  the  Confederates  and  took  refuge 
in  and  behind  their  wagons,  and  the  attack  was  not  pros- 
ecuted on  account  of  the  intense  darkness  which  prevailed 
and  rendered  a  charge  by  mounted  men  impracticable.  An 
attempt  Avas  then  made  to  destroy  the  railroad  bridge 
over  Cedar  Run,  but  this  failed  on  account  of  the  fact  that 
the  bridge  was  so  wet  that  it  would  not  burn,  and  the 
stream  was  swollen  to  such  an  extent  that  the  axemen 
could  not  get  to   the   trestles   for   the   purpose   of  cutting 


36  JOHN  ASRTON. 

them.  Finding  it  impossible  to  destroy  the  bridge,  General 
Stuart  retired  that  night  by  the  route  he  had  come  and  re- 
joined the  army  the  next  day  at  Warrenton  Springs. 

On  August  25th,  General  Jackson  began  the  flank  move- 
ment before  mentioned,  and  in  accordance  with  instructions 
received  from  General  Lee  that  night.  General  Stuart,  with 
Fitzhugh  Lee's  and  Robertson's  brigades,  overtook  General 
Jackson  the  next  day  near  Gainesville  and  joined  him  in  the 
movement.  That  night,  by  direction  of  General  Jackson, 
General  Stuart,  with  a  part  of  Robertson's  brigade,  and 
General  I.  R.  Trimble,  with  the  Twenty-first  Georgia  and 
the  Twenty-first  North  Carolina  regiments,  proceeded  to 
Manassas  Junction  and  captured  the  place  together  with 
over  three  hundred  prisoners,  eight  pieces  of  artillery,  seven- 
ty-two artillery  horses,  an  immense  quantity  of  commissary 
and  quartermaster's  stores,  a  long  train  of  cars  filled  with 
army  supplies  that  had  just  arrived  from  Alexandria,  and 
about  two  hundred  horses  beside  those  belonging  to  the 
artillery,  and  also  recaptured  more  than  two  hundred 
negroes. 

The  next  morning  General  Jackson  arrived  at  Manassas 
Junction  with  Hill's  and  TaHaferro's  divisions  and  soon 
thereafter  General  G.  W.  Taylor,  of  New  Jersey,  with  a 
considerable  force  of  Federal  infantry  made  a  bold  attempt 
to  recapture  the  place  and  lost  his  life  in  his  daring  effort. 
During  the  day  General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  with  three  of  his  reg- 
iments, including  the  Ninth  Virginia,  was  detached  and 
sent  in  the  rear  of  Fairfax  Court-house  to  damage  the  com- 
munications of  the  Federals  as  much  as  possible  and  try  to 
cut  off  the  force  that  had  been   led  by  General  Taylor. 

Unfortunately  for  Ashton,  as  the  sequel  shows,  he  had 
that  morning  been  detailed  as  a  special  courier  for  General 
Stuart  and  did  not  accompany  his  regiment  in  this  expe- 
dition. That  night  all  of  the  captured  property  that  could 
not  be  used  or  carried  away  from  Manassas  Junction  was 
destroyed,  and  General  Jackson  moved  his  command  to  the 
vicinity  of  Groveton  and  halted  near  where  the  first  battle 
of  Manassas  was  fought  the  year  before. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  August  28th,  a  dispatch  had 
been  intercepted  which  gave  the  order  of  march  of  the  Fed- 


JOHN  AS  ETON. 


eral  army  from  Warrenton  and  directed  a  part  of  the  cav- 
alry to  report  to  General  Bayard  at  Haymarket.  Hav- 
ing obtained  General  Jackson's  permission  for  the  move- 
ment, General  Stuart  proceeded  to  Haymarket  with  what 
cavalry  he  then  had  with  him,  and  on  approaching  the 
place  discovered  the  presence  of  a  large  force  of  Federals. 
About  this  time  he  saw  the  fighting  in  progress  at  Thor- 
oughfare Gap,  where  General  Longstreet  was  engaged 
with  the  Federals,  who  were  attempting  to  prevent  his 
junction  with  General  Jackson. 

Wishing  to  establish  communication  with  General  Long- 
street  and  give  him  accurate  information  as  to  the  location 
of  General  Jackson,  General  Stuart  decided  to  send  a  dis- 
patch to  the  former  and  Ashton  was  selected  as  the  bearer 
of  the  same.  The  position  of  a  courier  is  always  a  ver^' 
responsible  one  and  it  is  often  fraught  with  much  danger. 
If  the  reader  has  ever  been  intrusted  with  an  important 
dispatch,  on  the  safe  delivery  of  which  perhaps  depended 
the  issue  of  an  impending  battle,  and  in  order  to  deliver 
the  same  it  was  necessary  to  either  pass  through  or  around 
the  enemy's  lines,  he  will  understand  the  sense  of  responsi- 
bility and  grave  concern  with  which  Ashton  started  on  his 
mission.  As  the  Federals  were  between  him  and  Thorough- 
fare Gap,  he  knew  that  he  must  make  a  considerable  circuit 
to  avoid  them  in  his  effort  to  reach  General  Longstreet,  and 
that  even  then  he  would  run  the  risk  of  coming  in  contact 
with  some  of  their  scouting  parties  or  pickets  above  Hay- 
market. 

While  he  fully  appreciated  the  difficulties  and  dangers 
incident  to  the  errand  on  which  he  was  sent,  he  feltno  phys- 
ical fear  in  consequence  thereof,  and  was  concerned  about 
his  personal  safety  only  in  so  far  as  it  was  necessary  to 
the  success  of  his  mission.  Passing  around  to  the  right  of 
Haymarket  and  avoiding  the  open  roads,  he  proceeded  for 
several  miles  in  the  direction  of  Aldie.  After  going  as  far 
as  he  supposed  was  necessary  to  flank  any  Federal  out- 
posts in  that  direction,  he  turned  to  the  left  and  gradually 
approached  the  road  between  Haymarket  and  Aldie,  in- 
tending to  cross  this  road  and  make  his  way  down  to 
Hopewell  Gap  in  Bull  Run  Mountain   and   there  cross   the 


38  JOHN  AS  ETON. 

mountain,  if  the  Federals  were  still  in  front  of  Thorough- 
fare Gap.  He  approached  the  road  through  a  skirt  of 
woods  alongside  it,  and  hence  could  not  obtain  a  view  of  it 
until  he  entered  it.  Just  as  he  rode  out  of  the  woods  he  saw 
a  Federal  vedette  on  horseback  about  twenty  paces  from 
him. 

The  Federal  soldier  was  watching  the  road  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Aldie,  and  Asbton  had  entered  it  behind  him;  but, 
on  hearing  thesound  made  by  Ashton's  horse  in  entering  the 
road,  he  quickly  wheeled  his  own  horse  and  confronted 
Ashton.  The  latter  had  drawn  his  pistol  and  at  once  or- 
dered the  Federal  to  surrender.  Instead  of  doing  this  he 
quickly  raised  his  carbine  and  fired.  The  bullet  passed  un- 
pleasantly near  Ashton's  head,  but  did  not  touch  him. 

On  discovering  that  he  had  missed  his  mark  the  Federal 
endeavored  to  draw  his  pistol;  but  before  he  could  do  so 
Ashton  had  taken  deliberate  aim  at  him  and  fired.  He 
dropped  his  bridle-rein  and  pressed  his  left  hand  to  his 
breast,  made  one  more  effort  to  draw  his  pistol  and  then 
reeled  and  fell  from  his  horse. 

At  this  moment  Ashton  heard  the  whiz  of  bullets  above 
his  head  and  the  almost  simultaneous  reports  of  several 
guns  behind  him,  and  on  glancing  back  saw  a  squad  of 
Federal  cavalry  mounting  their  horses  about  six  fiundred 
yards  in  his  rear.  Witho'ut  waiting  to  see  whether  he  had 
killed  his  late  antagonist,  but  with  mingled  feelings  of  ad- 
miration and  sorrow  for  the  brave  fellow,  Ashton  put 
spurs  to  his  horse  and  dashed  off  at  full  speed  along  the 
road  toward  Aldie.  Having  so  much  the  start  of  the  Fed- 
erals, he  believed  that  he  could  escape  them  in  a  straight 
race,  but  this  he  knew  would  take  him  too  far  out  of  his 
intended  route  and  unnecessarily  tax  his  horse's  strength; 
and  hence  he  determined  to  leave  the  road  and  dodge  his 
pursuers  at  the  first  opportunity.  This  opportunity  soon 
presented  itself,  for  on  passing  the  edge  of  a  large  body  of 
woods  through  which  the  road  ran,  he  discovered  that  the 
road  made  a  considerable  bend  to  the  right,  and  immedi- 
ately after  he  had  passed  this  bend  he  was  entirely  out  of 
sight  of  his  pursuers.  Bringing  his  horse  to  a  walk  he  rode 
him  into  the  woods  on  the   left  and,   having  dismounted, 


JOUN  A  sS II  TON.  39 

quickly  returned  to  the  road  and  obliterated  the  tracks 
made  by  his  horse  in  leaving  the  same,  and  then  hastily 
remounting  his  horse  rode  off  through  the  woods  as  rap- 
idly as  possible.  Fortunately,  the  woods  extended  some 
distance  in  the  direction  in  which  he  was  going,  and  he 
soon  felt  secure  from  further  pursuit;  for  he  was  satisfied 
that  the  Federals,  in  their  rapid  pursuit  of  him,  would  pass 
by  the  place  where  he  left  the  road  before  discovering  tliat 
he  had  left  it,  and  that  the  tracks  there  made  by  their 
horses  would  render  its  location  quite  difficult  and  perhaps 
impossible.  On  emerging  from  the  woods  Ashton  pressed 
rapidly  on  toward  Hopewell  Gap,  reached  his  destination 
without  any  further  adventure  and  delivered  General 
Stuart's  dispatch  to  General  Longstreet  shortly  after  dark. 

Just  before  Ashton's  arrival,  the  Federal  force  in  front 
of  Thoroughfare  Gap  had  been  repulsed  by  General  D.  R. 
Jones  and  retreated  toward  Manassas,  and  a  successful 
passage  of  Bull  Run  Mountain  at  this  point  was  thus 
effected  by  the  part  of  Longstreet's  corps  which  had  come 
through  that  gap.  At  that  time  General  Hood  with  two 
brigades  was  crossing  the  mountain  by  a  footpath,  and 
General  Wilcox  with  three  brigades  was  crossing  it  through 
Hopewell  Gap,  and  that  night  the  entire  corps  bivouacked 
east  of  the  mountain. 

In  answer  to  General  Stuart's  dispatch.  General  Long- 
street  wrote  General  Jackson  that  he  had  successfully 
passed  Bull  Run  Mountain  and  would  promptly  march  to 
join  him  the  next  morning.  Ashton  was  instructed  to  de- 
liver the  dispatch  that  night,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  re- 
freshed himself  and  his  horse  he  started  on  this  mission.  It 
was  after  midnight  when  he  reached  General  Jackson's 
headquarters  and  delivered  the  dispatch,  and  he  decided  to 
wait  until  morning  to  join  General  Stuart,  who,  as  he  was 
informed,  was  near  Sudlc}'  Church. 

The  next  morning,  August  29th,  Ashton  started  off  to 
join  General  Stuart  and  proceeded  parallel  with  and  in  the 
rear  of  Jackson's  corps,  which,  as  he  discovered,  had 
changed  its  position  since  he  saw  it  the  day  before,  and 
was  now  formed  in  line  of  battle  along  the  unfinished  rail- 
road stretching  from  the  Warren  ton  turnpike    across    the 


40  JOHN  ASH  TON. 

road  from  Sudley's  Ford  to  Manassas  Junction,  the  left  of 
the  Hne  being  near  this  road. 

As  Ashton  was  in  the  rear  of  General  Jackson's  line  of 
battle  and  at  times  in  sight  of  the  same,  he  did  not  for  a 
moment  anticipate  an  encounter  with  the  enemy  and  rode 
carelessly  along,  perfectly  unconscious  of  danger.  When 
he  had  nearly  reached  the  extreme  left  of  the  line  and  was 
almost  in  sight  of  Sudley  Church,  a  small  party  of  Federals 
suddenly  appeared  a  short  distance  in  front  of  him  and  at 
once  began  to  fire  at  him.  He  quickly  drew  his  pistol  and 
returned  their  fire,  but  had  only  fired  twice  when  he  was 
struck  in  the  right  breast  by  a  pistol  ball  and  fell  from  his 
horse.  The  fall  from  his  horse  rendered  him  unconscious  for 
a  few  moments,  and  on  recovering  his  consciousness  he 
found  himself  surrounded  bj'  Federal  soldiers.  There  hap- 
pened to  be  a  surgeon  among  them,  and,  true  to  the  in- 
stincts of  his  fraternity  and,  doubtless,  the  impulses  of 
humanity,  he  promptly  sought  to  ascertain  whether  he 
coLild  relieve  Ashton,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he 
was  an  enemy. 

An  examination  of  Ashton's  wound  showed  that  it  was 
a  severe  one,  but  not  likely  to  prove  fatal,  as  the  ball  on 
entering  his  breast  had  struck  a  rib  and,  being  thereby 
deflected  from  its  course,  had  passed  out  at  his  side.  The 
surgeon  at  once  dressed  Ashton's  wound  and  directed  that 
he  be  taken  to  Centreville,  where  the  Federals  had  estab- 
lished a  temporary  hospital  to  which  they  were  sending 
their  own  wounded  and  those  of  the  Confederates  whom 
they  had  captured. 

In  accordance  with  the  instruction  thus  given,  Ashton 
was  carried  off  toward  Centreville.  The  party  of  Federals 
then  retired  to  the  woods  bordering  the  Sudley  Ford  road, 
and  rejoined  the  force  of  which  they  were  a  part,  and 
which  had  by  some  means  succeeded  in  reaching  the  rear  of 
Jackson's  line  at  this  point. 

If  Ashton's  removal  had  been  delayed  for  even  a  few  min- 
utes, he  would  probably  have  been  recaptured,  for  shortly 
afterward  the  presence  of  this  Federal  force  in  Jackson's 
rear  was  discovered,  and  the  brave  and  peerless  Captain 
Pelham  w^ith  his  Horse  Artillery   routed   them    and    recap- 


JOHN  ASH  TON.  41 

tured   several   other  wounded  Confederates  whom  they  had 
just  captured. 

Ashton  was  kept  at  Centreville  only  one  night,  for  on  the 
morning  of  August  30th,  in  anticipation  of  the  desperate 
effort  which  General  Pope  was  to  make  that  afternoon  to 
retrieve  the  disasters  his  army  had  suffered  during  the 
two  preceding  days,  all  of  the  wounded  at  Centreville  who 
could  be  moved  were  sent  to  Washington,  and  Ashton 
was  among  the  number.  Thus  again  was  his  evil  star  in 
the  ascendant,  as  but  for  this  precautionary  measure  he 
would  have  been  recaptured,  for,  in  the  general  engagement 
which  occurred  that  afternoon.  General  Pope  was  first  suc- 
cessfully repulsed  and  afterward  completely  routed,  and  his 
entire  army  was  driven  back  across  Bull  Run  and  did  not 
halt  in  its  wild  retreat  until  it  reached  the  heights  of  Cen- 
treville, and  being  flanked  out  of  this  position  by  General 
Jackson  the  next  day,  hastily  retreated  toward  Fairfax 
Court-house,  had  a  brief  but  bloody  engagement  with  Jack- 
son at  Ox  Hill  near  nightfall  and  continued  the  retreat  in 
the  darkness,  reaching  the  breastworks  before  Washing- 
ton the  following  day. 

In  the  meantime  Ashton  had  been  carried  to  Washing- 
ton and  placed  in  a  hospital,  where  he  w^as  receiving  all 
necessary  care  and  attention.  His  trip  to  Washington  had 
been  quite  fatiguing  to  him  and  this  result,  combined  with 
the  harassing  thought  of  a  probably  lengthy  imprison- 
ment, had  so  affected  him  that  he  had  been  thrown  into  a  ■ 
high  fever  which  was  likely  to  prove  troublesome  and  per- 
haps dangerous.  Indeed,  on  the  day  after  his  arrival  at 
the  hospital,  his  fever  was  such  as  to  render  him  at  times 
unconscious. 

Thus  far  we  have  given  an  outline  of  Ashton's  career  as 
a  soldier  without  even  alluding  to  his  experience  as  a  lover 
since  he  left  Ruth  Aliddleton  about  sixteen  months  before. 
Leaving  him  for  the  present  in  the  hands  of  the  hospital 
surgeon  an  1  nurses,  we  will  relate  some  of  the  incidents 
growing  out  of  his  relation  to  Ruth. 


42  JOHN  ASH  TON. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Before  leaving  Ruth,  Ashton  had  obtained  her  consent 
to  a  correspondence  between  them,  and  they  had  kept  up 
the  correspondence  as  regularly  as  they  could  in  view  of 
his  surroundings,  the  frequency  with  which  his  regiment 
changed  its  location,  and  the  consequent  delays  in  his  re- 
ception of  Ruth's  letters.  During  the  first  twelve  months 
of  the  correspondence,  Ashton's  letters,  whilst  evincing  the 
highest  regard  for  Ruth  and  a  deep  interest  in  all  that  con- 
cerned her,  were  purely  friendly  in  their  character,  as  he 
had  scrupulously  kept  his  resolution  to  refrain  from  declar- 
ing his  love  for  her.  But  for  several  months  before  he  was 
wounded,  his  letters  had  become  decidedly  warmer  in  their 
tenor,  and  running  through  all  of  them  there  was  an  un- 
dercurrent of  tenderness  the  unmistakable  source  of 
which  was  manifestly  the  fountain  of  love. 

Just  before  General  Lee  began  the  movement  against 
General  Pope  which  culminated  in  the  second  battle  of 
Manassas,  Ashton  wrote  Ruth  a  letter  in  which  he  made 
known  his  deep,  absorbing  and  constantly  increasing  love 
for  her,  explained  why  he  had  thus  long  refrained  from 
reveaHng  it,  and  told  her  that  he  could  no  longer  delay  an 
expression  of  his  feelings.  As  this  delay,  as  he  explained  to 
her,  had  been  caused  by  the  fact  that  he  had  devoted  him- 
self to  his  country's  service,  was  leading  a  life  of  hardship 
and  danger  and  could  offer  her  nothing  but  his  love,  he 
excUvSed  himself  for  having  now  seemingly  ignored  what  had 
previously  prevented  a  declaration  of  his  love,  by  telling 
Ruth  that  he  hoped  and  beheved  that  these  restraining 
causes  would  soon  be  removed,  as  the  recent  signal  vic- 
tories of  the  Confederate  armies  gave  promise  of  an  early 
termination  of  the  war.  He  told  her  of  the  great  struggle 
which  he  experienced  in  restraining  himself  from  a  declara- 
tion of  his  love  before  leaving  her,  and  how  this  struggle 
had  almost  daily  recurred  in  his  life  since  then,  and  that  at 
times  he  was  tortured  by  the  agonizing  thought  that  even 
if  there  was  a  hope  of  winning  her  love,  should  his  own 
be  revealed,  this  hope  might  be  destroyed  by  the  successful 


JOHN  ASUTON.  43 

suit  of  some  other  man  while  she  was  ignorant  of  his 
deep  and  deathless  devotion  to  her.  After  telling  her  how 
anxiously  and  impatiently  he  would  await  an  answer  to 
his  letter,  he  requested  that  she  would  direct  her  reply  as 
follows:  "John  Ashton,  Ninth  Virginia  Cavalry,  Fitzhugh 
Lee's  Brigade,  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,"  stating  that  as 
the  army  v^as  about  to  begin  an  aggressive  campaign  he 
did  not  know  where  he  would  be  during  the  next  two 
weeks,  but  if  the  letter  w^ere  thus  directed  it  would  be  sent 
to  his  regiment  and  eventually  reach  him. 

Ruth  received  Ashton's  letter  a  few  days  after  it  was 
mailed,  and  the  reader  can  readily  imagine  its  effect  upon 
her.  She  had  long  known  that  Ashton  loved  her,  felt  satis- 
fied that  it  was  only  a  question  of  time  as  to  the  declara- 
tion of  his  love,  and  in  the  meanwhile,  despite  the  efforts 
which  she  had  made  to  control  her  feelings,  her  heart  had 
responded  to  his  love  and  he  had  become  very  dear  to  her. 
Hence  it  was  with  an  emotion  of  exhilarating  gladness 
that  she  read  the  revelation  of  his  deep  and  ardent  love  for 
her,  and  her  soul  was  tilled  with  happiness  at  the  thought 
that  she  was  "all  the  world"  to  such  a  true  and  noble  man, 
and  had  it  in  her  power  to  bless  and  brighten  his  future 
life,  and  also  her  own,  by  giving  a  full  response  to  his  love. 
If  she  had  consulted  her  feehngs  alone  and  3'ielded  to  the 
impulse  of  the  moment,  she  would  have  given  Ashton's 
letter  an  immediate  reply ;  but  maidenl3'  modesty  and  a  re- 
gard for  conventional  propriety  restrained  her  from  writ- 
ing for  several  days.  She  then  answered  Ashton's  let- 
ter, telling  him  that  his  love  w^as  reciprocated  and  that  she 
was  very  happy  in  the  thought  of  its  possession.  With 
feminine  inconsistency  she  playfully  chided  him  for  having 
so  long  refrained  from  revealing  his  love  and  thus  delay- 
ing their  mutual  happiness.  The  letter  was  duly  posted, 
but  did  not  reach  Ashton's  regiment  until  a  day  or  two 
after  he  was  wounded  and  captured,  and  hence  was  not  re- 
ceived by  him. 

On  the  morning  of  August  29th,  and  shortly  after 
Ashton  was  captured,  General  Stuart  with  a  part  of  his 
command  met  General  Longstreet  between  Haymarket 
and  Gainesville,  and  there  learned  from   the  latter  that  he 


44  JOEN  ASHTON. 

had  the  night  before  received  the  dispatch  which  Stuart 
had  sent  hira  by  Ashton,  and  that  he  had  intrusted  Ashton 
with  the  delivery  of  a  dispatch  to  General  Jackson.  As 
Ashton  did  not  report  to  General  Stuart  during  the  further 
progress  of  the  battle,  when  it  was  over  General  Stuart 
sent  a  messenger  to  Ashton's  captain  to  ascertain  whether 
he  was  with  the  company  and,  on  learning  that  he  was 
not,  inquiry  was  made  at  General  Jackson's  headquarters 
as  to  whether  he  had  delivered  General  Longstreet's  dis- 
patch on  the  night  of  August  28th.  The  result  of  this  in- 
quiry showed  that  Ashton  had  delivered  the  dispatch  that 
night,  remained  near  General  Jackson's  headquarters  until 
the  next  morning  and  then  started  off  in  the  rear  of  Jack- 
son's line  of  battle  for  the  purpose  of  joining  General 
Stuart  near  Sudley  Church.  No  further  information  of  his 
movements  could  be  obtained  at  the  time,  and  it  was  sup- 
posed that  he  was  probably  killed  by  the  Federal  force  that 
reached  the  rear  of  General  Jackson's  lines  on  the  morning 
of  August  29th.  This  supposition  was  strengthened  and, 
in  the  minds  of  some,  confirmed  by  the  statement  of  one  of 
the  wounded  Confederates  who  had  been  recaptured  from 
this  Federal  force  that  just  before  the  recapture  he  saw  a 
cavalryman  shot  from  his  horse  near  Sudley  Church  by  a 
small  party  of  Federals,  that  they  rejoined  the  main  force 
a  few  minutes  thereafter,  but  had  no  prisoners  with  them, 
and  hence  he  supposed  that  the  cavalryman  had  been  killed. 

In  view  of  the  facts  which  we  have  stated,  it  was  gener- 
ally supposed  that  Ashton  had  been  killed  during  the  battle 
of  Manassas,  and  he  was  so  reported  in  the  list  of  casual- 
ties occurring  in  his  regiment.  As  Ashton  was  supposed 
to  have  been  killed,  Rutii's  letter  was  forwarded  to  Rich- 
mond to  be  returned  to  its  writer  through  the  Dead  Letter 
Office,  but  for  some  cause  it  never  reached  its  destination. 

Several  months  before,  Ashton  had  ordered  the  J?zc/i- 
mond  Examiner  sent  to  Ruth's  address,  and  she  had  been 
reading  it  with  much  interest.  Shortly  after  the  battle  of 
Manassas  she  received  a  copy  of  the  paper  containing  an 
account  of  the  part  taken  in  the  engagement  by  the  Vir- 
ginia troops  and  also  a  list  of  their  killed  and  wounded. 
Among  the  former  she  found  the  name  of  John    Ashton,  of 


JOHN  ASHTON.  45 

tbe  Ninth  Virginia  Cavalry,  and  the  shock  caused  by  the 
unexpected  and  painful  discovery  was  almost  paralyzing  in 
its  effect  upon  her. 

For  a  moment  she  was  dazed,  as  if  she  had  suddenly 
received  a  physical  blow;  her  mind  was  in  a  whirl  and  she 
was  hardly  conscious  of  her  surroundings,  and  could  not 
realize  the  full  meaning  of  this  heartrending  news.  When 
its  full  significance  found  lodgment  in  her  reeling  brain  and 
she  realized  that  Ashton  was  indeed  dead,  her  whole  being 
was  convulsed  with  agony  and  in  tones  of  anguish  she 
cried  out:  "Oh,  John,  John,  my  love,  my  lost  darling,  let  me 
come  to  you ;  my  heart  is  broken  ;"  and  fell  to  the  floor  in  a 
deathlike  swoon. 

Bertha  Gray  was  in  an  adjoining  room  and,  on  hearing 
the  noise  occasioned  by  Ruth's  fall,  hastily  sought  to  ascer- 
tain its  cause,  and  was  horrified  to  find  Ruth  lying  on  the 
floor  in  an  apparently  lifeless  condition.  She  at  once 
aroused  the  household,  dispatched  a  servant  for  aph^'sician, 
and  proceeded  to  do  what  she  could  to  revive  her  cousin. 
Seating  herself  on  the  floor,  she  placed  Ruth's  head  in  her 
lap  and  with  the  assistance  of  a  waiting-maid  began  to 
chafe  her  hands,  and  bathe  her  face  v^ith  cold  water.  In  a 
few  moments  she  was  rejoiced  to  see  signs  of  animation  in 
her  cousin,  and  shortly  thereafter  Ruth  returned  to  full 
consciousness. 

When  the  physician  arrived,  he  found  that  there  was  no 
especial  need  for  his  services,  but  he  directed  that  Ruth 
should  lie  down  and  take  several  hours  of  uninterrupted 
repose.  Ruth  gave  no  information  as  to  the  cause  of  her 
swoon,  and  Bertha  would  not  ask  her  about  it  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  physician  and  the  servants.  Even  after  she  had 
conducted  Ruth  to  her  room.  Bertha  still  refrained  from 
questioning  her  in  regard  to  the  matter,  especially  as  the 
physician  had  prescribed  perfect  quiet  for  her;  and  after  she 
had  made  all  necessary  arrangements  for  Ruth's  comfort, 
she  left  her. 

On  re-entering  the  room  where  Ruth  had  fainted.  Bertha 
saw  a  paper  lying  on  the  floor  and,  having  picked  it  up,  was 
attracted  by  the  prominent  head-lines  of  a  column  of  war 
news.    Glancing  down  thecolumn  she  soon  saw  the  name  of 


46  JOHN  ASHTON. 

John  Ashton  in  the  list  of  Virginia  soldiers  who  had  been 
killed  in  the  recent  battle  of  Manassas,  and  at  once  con- 
cluded that  the  sight  of  this  had  caused  Ruth's  swoon,  for 
the  latter  had  told  her  of  Ashton's  declaration  of  his  love 
for  her  and  of  her  own  love  for  him.  She  was  deeply 
grieved  at  the  thought  of  Ashton's  death,  as  she  felt  the 
warmest  friendship  for  him,  and  her  sorrow  was  greatly  in- 
tensified in  consequence  of  the  agonizing  effect  which  his 
death  had  produced  on  Ruth,  and  her  heart  was  filled  with 
tenderest  sympathy  for  her  cousin  in  her  sad  bereavement. 
Believing  that  Ruth  would  prefer  to  be  alone  during  the  first 
hours  of  her  grief,  Bertha  did  not  go  to  her  cousin's  room 
until  the  next  day.  After  gently  rapping  at  the  door  and 
receiving  no  response  from  within,  she  entered  the  room  ex- 
pecting to  find  Ruth  asleep.  Instead  of  this,  she  found  her 
sitting  by  a  window  gazing  out-of-doors  with  a  far-away 
look  in  her  eyes  and  an  indescribably  sad  expression  on  her 
face,  which  bore  traces  of  recent  tears.  Without  any  pre- 
vious salutation  Bertha  approached  her  and,  placing  her 
arms  around  her,  drew  her  to  her  bosom  and  simply  said : 

"My  darling,  I  have  seen  the  paper  and  understand  it  all. 
1  suffer  with  you  and  wish  that  I  could  thereby  render  your 
suffering  less." 

Ruth  returned  her  cousin's  embrace  and  said:  "He  was 
so  good  and  true,  and  I  loved  him  with  all  my  soul.  It  is 
so  hard  to  bear." 

Nothing  more  w^as  said,  but  for  a  long  time  the  cousins 
remained  locked  in  a  close  embrace,  and  from  the  devoted 
love  and  tender  sympathy  which  it  indicated  on  Bertha's 
part,  Ruth  received  as  much  of  soothing  consolation  as 
living  loved  ones  can  impart  to' one  whose  grief-stricken 
heart  is  sorrowing  for  the  dead. 

Leaving  them  locked  in  each  other's  arms,  we  will  return 
to  Ashton,  whom  ^ve  left  in  a  partially  delirious  condition 
at  the  hospital  in  Washington.  Instead  of  improving,  his 
condition  dstily  grew  worse,  and  at  theexpiration  of  a  week 
his  fever  was  so  high  that  he  entirel3^  lost  consciousness  of 
his  surroundings  and  had  no  lucid  moments.  He  was  per- 
fectly delirious  and  in  an  incoherent  manner  repeatedly 
gave  expression  to  the  thoughts  that  crowded  his   disor- 


JOHN  ASH  TON.  47 

dered  mind.  As  is  usual  in  such  cases,  these  thoughts  took 
a  wide  range  and  were  constantly  changing.  At  times  he 
thought  that  he  was  in  the  midst  of  battle  and  would  shout 
**the  wild  Confederate  yell"  as  if  he  were  charging  the 
enemy  with  Asliby  or  Stuart.  At  other  times  he  would 
imagine  himself  in  his  old  home,  surrounded  by  the  loneliness 
and  air  of  desolation  that  marked  it  just  after  his  parents 
died,  and  he  would  give  vent  to  his  grief  in  bitter  sobs  and 
bewail  the  mysterious  fate  which  had  so  suddenly  darkened 
his  young  life.  Then  he  would  think  of  his  adopted  home 
in  the  Sunny  South,  run  over  again  in  imagination  his  rapid 
and  thrilling  race  to  rescue  Ruth  Middleton  from  the 
impending  fate  to  which  she  was  being  borne  by  her  fright- 
ened horse,  and  immediately  afterward  burst  forth  in 
hearty  praise  of  some  sweet  song  as  if  it  had  just  been 
sung  by  Ruth  with  the  utmost  harmony  and  expression  of 
which  it  was  susceptible;  and  then  he  would  rave  about  his 
love  for  her  and  the  letter  in  which  he  had  revealed  it,  and 
wonder  why  he  had  received  no  answ^er  to  his  letter. 

He  continued  in  this  condition  for  several  daj^s,  and  at 
times  the  hospital  physicians  thought  that  his  chance  tore- 
cover  was  but  slight,  and  stated  that  the  utmost  care  and 
attention  were  necessary  to  preserve  his  life.  In  the  ward  in 
which   he  had   been   placed    there  was    a    volunteer  nurse 

named  Annie  R .    She  resided  in  New    Castle,   Delaware, 

and  was  the  daughter  of  a  wealthy  merchant  of  that  place 
who  sympathized  with  the  South  in  the  struggle  then  in  prog- 
ress, and  as  she  shared  her  father's  feelings  in  this  matter, 
she  had  offered  her  services  at  this  hospital  for  the  purpose 
of  nursing  the  sick  and  wounded  Confederate  prisoners  who 
were  its  inmates.  She  had  been  at  once  impressed  by  Ash- 
ton's  intellectual  face  and  manly  and  distinguished  api)ear- 
ance,  and  when  she  caught  glimpses  of  his  past  life  and  ex- 
perience as  revealed  in  his  delirious  talks  she  became  deeply 
interested  in  his  case  and  did  all  in  her  power  to  secure  his 
recovery.  She  was  a  young  lady  of  refinement  and  culture, 
had  a  sweet  and  noble  face  and  slightly  resembled  Ruth 
Middleton  in  personal  appearance.  It  may  have  been 
owing  to  this  resemblance,  or,  perhaps,  to  Miss  R 's  deft- 
ness as  a  nurse  and   magnetic  power,   that  she   had  better 


48  JOHN  ASHTON. 

control  than  others  over  Ashton  and  could  often  quiet  his 
ravings  when  every  one  else  had  tailed  to  do  so.  The  very 
touch  of  her  hand  on  his  burning  brow  appeared  to  act 
with  magical  effect  upon  his  excited  brain,  and,  in  the  midst 
of  his  wildest  ravings,  calm  the  tempest  of  thought  that 
was  raging  in  his  mind.  But  nothing  could  entirely  allay 
the  raging  fever  which  was  daily  exhausting  his  physical 
frame,  and  each  recurring  paroxysm  made  such  drafts  on 
his  strength  as   to  lessen  the  chances  of  his  recovery. 

At  last  the  crisis  came,   and  the  surgeon   told   Miss  R 

that  if  Ashton  could  successfully  withstand  the  ravages  of 
the  fever  through  that  night,  he  would  probably  recover. 
She  determined  that  she  would  do  everything  in  her  power 
to  aid  him  in  the  approaching  struggle  and,  after  obtaining 
from  the  surgeon  full  directions  as  to  what  should  be  done 
in  every  conceivable  emergency,  she  arranged  to  spend  the 
entire  night  by  Ashton's  bedside.  All  through  the  night  she 
watched  by  his  couch,  keeping  constantly  informed  as  to 
the  state  of  his  pulse  and  the  degree  of  his  temperature,  and 
faithfully  administered  the  remedies  thereby  respectively 
indicated  as  necessary  to  be  used.  Toward  morning  she 
was  rejoiced  to  discover  that  his  temperature  was  falling 
and,  as  there  was  a  corresponding  decrease  in  the  beat  of 
his  pulse,  she  was  satisfied  that  his  fever  was  abating  and 
that  the  crisis  had  been  successfully  passed.  In  this  suppo- 
sition she  was  correct,  and  about  dawn  Ashton  sank  into  a 
quiet  sleep  and  was  soon  breathing  as  regularly  and  natur- 
ally as  if  he  were  in  his  usual   health.     Miss  R remained 

by  his  couch  until  some  of  the  regular  nurses  came  into  the 
ward,  and  at  once  informed  them  of  Ashton's  condition 
and  stated  that  he  must  not  be  disturbed  under  any  circum- 
stances, but  should  be  allowed  to  sleep  on  until  he  awoke  of 
his  own  accord.  She  then  left  the  hospital  and  repaired  to 
her  boarding-house  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  the  rest 
and  sleep  which  she  so  much  needed  in  consequence  of  her 
long  and  anxious  vigil.  About  noon  she  awoke  and,  after 
refreshing  herself  with  a  sandwich  and  a  cup  of  coffee, 
immediately  returned  to  the  hospital  to  ascertain  the  con- 
dition of  Ashton.  She  found  him  still  sleeping  peacefully, 
and    decided   that    she  would   remain    with    him  until  he 


JO  UN  ASHTON,  49 

awoke.  It  was  not  long  before  she  noticed  in  his  appear- 
ance signs  of  returning  consciousness,  and  soon  thereafter 
he  opened  his  eyes  and  began  to  look  around  him. 

Seeing  Miss  R ,  he  looked  at  her  steadily  for  a  moment 

and  then  closed  his  eyes  and  pressed  his  hand  to  his  fore- 
head as  if  trying  to  collect  his  thoughts,  or  recall  something 
that  had  escaped  his  memory.  His  effort  appeared  to  be 
fruitless,  and  again  opening  his  eyes  and  looking  at  Miss 
R in  a  half-dazed  manner,  he  said  : 

"Where  am  I?    And  how  came  I  to  be  here?" 

She  replied  :  "You  are  in  a  hospital  in  Washington  City, 
and  were  brought  here  in  consequence  of  having  been 
wounded  in  battle  and  captured  by  Federal  soldiers  about 
two  weeks  ago." 

''Two  weeks  ago!"  exclaimed  Ashton.  "Have  I  been  here 
that  long?" 

"Not  quite  so  long  as  that," said  MissR ,"as  you  were 

brought  here  about  three  da3's  after  you  were  wounded." 

Ashton  closed  his  eyes  and  appeared  to  be  again  striving 
to  recall  something  to  remembrance.  In  a  few  moments 
his  face  brightened  and,  opening  his  eyes,  he  said: 

"Yes,  I  now  remember  the  circumstances  under  which  I 
was  wounded.  I  had  carried  a  dispatch  from  General 
Longstreet  to  General  Jackson  the  night  before,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  second  day's  fighting  in  the  battle  of 
Manassas,  was  on  my  way  to  rejoin  General  Stuart  near 
Sudley  Church.  As  I  was  in  the  rear  of  General  Jackson's 
line  of  battle,  I  had  no  thought  of  encountering  any  Fed- 
eral soldiers  and  was  carelessly  riding  along,  unconscious 
of  danger,  when  a  small  party  of  Federals  suddenly  ap- 
peared in  front  of  me  and  began  to  fire  at  me.  I  think  I 
fired  twice  at  them,  and  was  then  shot  in  the  breast  and 
fell  from  ray  horse.  The  fall  rendered  me  unconscious  for  a 
short  time,  and  when  I  regained  my  consciousness  I  found 
that  I  was  a  prisoner.  My  wound  was  dressed  and,  im- 
mediately afterward,  I  was  carried  to  Centreville,  and  on 
the  following  day  brought  to  this  place.  I  have  but  an 
indistinct  recollection  of  my  first  day's  stay  here  and 
remember  nothing  occurring  after  that  time.   I  am  sure  that 


50  JOHN  ASH  TON. 

I  did  not  see  you  before  I  became  unconscious,  and  yet  your 
face  seems  strangely  familiar  to  me," 

"You  are  correct  in  your  statement  that  you  did  not   see 

me  before  you  became  unconscious,"  said  Miss  R ,"for  I 

was  in  another  ward  at  that  time  and  did  not  learn  of  your 
case  until  the  next  day.  I  suppose  that  the  reason  why 
my  face  seems  familiar  to  you  is  because  I  have  frequently 
been  about  your  bedside  since  3'ou  became  delirious  and, 
although  your  brain  remained  disordered,  3'ou  were  per- 
haps at  times  conscious  of  my  presence,  and  my  features 
were  then  impressed  on  your  mind  and,  being  now  recalled, 
seem  familiar  to  you." 

"That  is  doubtless  the  correct  explanation  of  the  mat- 
ter," said  Ashton,  "and  what  3'ou  have  said  enables  me, 
without  further  information,  to  understand  that  you  have 
carefully  and  assiduously  watched  over  me  and  ministered 
to  m^'  wants  during  my  delirium  ;  for  I  have  a  recollection 
that  some  person,  of  whose  face  your  own  is  the  counter- 
part, seemed  to  exert  a  strong  influence  over  me  and  by  a 
simple  touch  of  her  hand  often  soothed  and  calmed  my 
troubled  mind.  In  view  of  the  lengthy  period  of  my 
delirium,  I  realize  the  great  danger  through  which  I  have 
passed  and  am  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  the  debt  of 
gratitude  I  owe  you  for  your  attention  and  kindness,  which 
I  am  sure  have  saved  my  life.  I  cannot  find  words  to  tell 
YOU  how  deeply  grateful  I  am  for  what  you  have  done  for 
me.  My  gratitude  is  all  the  warmer  and  deeper  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  1  am  to  you  an  entire  stranger,  and  also 
belong  to  an  army  that  is  engaged  in  war  with  the  section 
in  which  3'ou  live." 

"Do  not  trouble  yourself  farther  to  express  your  gratitude 
for  what  I  have  done,"  she  repHed,  "for  the  pleasure  which 
I  feel  in  having  aided  in  your  recovery  is  ample  reward  for 
ray  exertions.  The  fact  that  you  are  a  Southern  soldier, 
and  which,  as  it  seems,  renders  you  all  the  more  grateful 
for  what  I  have  done,  is  really  the  reason  why  I  have  had 
an  opportunity  for  assisting  you;  for  otherwise,  you  would 
not  have  been  brought  to  this  hospital,  which  is  used  only 
for  sick  and  wounded  Confederate  prisoners,  and  I  am  here 
solely  because  such  is  its   use.     Can   you   keep  a   secret?    I 


JOHN  ASHTON.  51 

believe  that  you  can,  and  will  therefore  tell  you  one. 
Although  my  home  is  at  New  Castle,  Delaware,  and  I  am  a 
native  of  that  State,  I  sympathize  with  the  Southern  peo- 
ple in  their  struggle  against  the  United  States,  and  came 
here  for  the  express  purpose  of  aiding,  as  far  as  possible, 
sick  and  wounded  Confederate  soldiers,  knowing  that  they 
would  need  more  careful  attention  than  they  were  likely  to 
receive  from  mere  hired  nurses  who  felt  no  interest  in  them 
and  doubtless  were  inimical  to  the  South.  But  we  will  not 
farther  discuss  this  matter  at  present,  as  you  are  quite 
feeble  and  both  your  mind  and  body  require  rest  and  quiet 
in  order  for  you  to  regain  your  strength.  Moreover,  I  see 
the  surgeon  approaching,  and,  although  he  is  a  kind-hearted 
man  and  by  no  means  bitter  in  his  feelings  tow^ard  the 
South,  he  must  not  know  that  I  am  a  Southern  sympa- 
thizer." 

Immediately  after   Miss  R had  ceased   speaking,    the 

surgeon  arrived  and,  after  giving  Miss  R and  Ashtou  a 

pleasant  greeting,  said  to  the  latter:  "I  was  truly  glad,  on 
making  my  rounds  this  morning,  to  find  that  your  fever 
had  abated  and  that  you  were  out  of  danger.  As  you 
were  quietly  sleeping  at  the  time,  I  gave  orders  that  you 
should  not  be  disturbed,  and  should  be  allowed  to  sleep  on 
until  you  awoke  of  your  own  accord.     I  found  that   in  this 

matter  1  had  been  preceded  by  Miss  R ,  wiio  had  already 

given  similar  instructions  in  regard  to  3' ou.  By  the  way,  I 
may  safely  say  that  to  her  you  are  doubtless  indebted  for 
your  recovery,  for  in  all  probability  nothing  short  of  the 
constant  and  skilful  attention  which  she  gave  you,  would 
have  enabled  your  system  to  withstand  the  continuous  and 
protracted  strain  to  which  it  was  subjected.  I  thank  her 
for  what  she  has  accomplished,  and  congratulate  3'ou  on 
the  result  of  her  efforts  and  your  good  fortune  in  having 
such  an  efficient  nurse." 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Ashton,  "I  am  sure  that  to  MissR and 

yourself  I  owe  my  life.  I  have  already  endeavored  to  give 
her  some  idea  of  my  gratitude  for  what  she  has  done  for 
me,  and  now  ask  you  to  accept  my  earnest  and  grateful 
thanks  for  the  efficient  service  which  you  have  rendered 
me." 


52  JOHN  ASHTON. 

"I  will  not,"  said  the  surgeon,  "be  guilty  of  mock  mod- 
esty and  underestimate  the  service  which  my  professional 
knowledge  and  skill  have  enabled  me  to  render  you ;  but,  as 
I  have  already  intimated,  this  service  would  doubtless  have 
proven  fruitless  without  the  careful  and  unremitting  atten- 
tion given  you  by  Miss  R ,  and  I  repeat  that  to  her  you 

owe  your  recovery.  However,  we  will  not  longer  dwell  on 
the  means  of  your  recovery.  The  more  important  matter 
is  the  fact  that  your  recovery  is  now  assured,  and  I  hope 
that  in  a  short  time  you  will  regain  your  usual  health  and 
strength.  Now  that  the  fever  has  been  allayed,  your  body 
will  soon  resume  its  normal  condition,  and  then  your 
wound  will  rapidly  heal.  What  you  now  most  need  are 
rest  and  sleep,  and  in  order  thai  you  may  at  once  begin  to 

obtain  their  beneticial  effects.  Miss   R ,  and  I  will  leave 

you  to  their  enjoyment." 

The  surgeon  and  Miss  R then  left  Ashton  and  pro- 
ceeded to  visit  the  other  inmates  of  the  ward. 

Instead  of  trying  to  sleep,  Ashton  was  soon  deeply 
absorbed  in  reflection  on  his  recent  experience  and  present 
surroundings.  His  first  thoughts  were  of  Ruth  Middleton 
and  his  great  love  for  her.  He  felt  that  he  had  but  inade- 
quately expressed  his  love  in  the  letter  declaring  it,  wished 
that  he  could  have  told  her  of  it  in  person,  wondered  how 
she  had  received  his  declaration  of  love,  and  longed  to  know 
whether  his  love  was  reciprocated  and  what  had  been  her 
reply  to  his  letter.  This  longing  for  a  knowledge  of  Ruth's 
feelings  toward  him  naturally  reminded  him  of  the  proba- 
ble cause  of  his  failure  to  obtain  it,  viz.:  his  wound  and 
subsequent  captivity;  and  his  thoughts  were  thereby 
turned  to  his  experience  as  a  prisoner,  and  his  present  sur- 
roundings.    He  thought  long  and   tenderly  of  the  interest 

that  Miss  R had  manifested  in  him  and  the  unremitting 

efforts  made  by  her  to  secure  his  recovery,  and  his  heart 
was  filled  with  affectionate  gratitude  to  her  for  the  service 
she  had  rendered  him.  This  gratitude  was  so  intense  that  it 
had  engendered  the  warmest  friendly  affection  for  her,  and 
he  felt  that  if  his  heart  were  not  already  irretrievably  given 
to- another,  he  could  and  would  love  her  devotedly  for  the 
kindness  which  she  had  shown  him ;  and  yet  there  was  not 


JOHN  ASHTON.  53 

in  this  feeling  the  slightest  element  of  disloyalty  to  Ruth, 
for  in  harboring  it  he  did  not  really  contemplate  ever  loving 

Miss  R ,  or  wish  that  he  were  free  to  love  her.    Thinking 

of  her  kindness  and  attention  to  him  reminded  him  of  the 
circumstances  which  called  them  forth,  and  he  began  to 
wonder  what  experience  awaited  him  as  a  prisoner  of  war. 
He  was  satisfied  that,  as  soon  as  he  regained  his  strength, 
he  would  be  taken  to  some  one  of  the  Northern  prisons  to 
be  kept  there  until  regularly  exchanged,  and  the  thought  of 
an  indefinite  and  probably  a  lengthy  imprisonment  was 
horrible  to  him.  He  determined  that  he  would  not  wait  to 
be  exchanged,  but  would  make  an  effort  to  escape  if  he 
should  have  the  slightest  opportunity  for  so  doing,  and 
thought  it  possible  that  Miss  R might  oifer  some  sug- 
gestions that  would  aid  him  in  his  purpose.  While  thinking 
about  this  matter,  he  fell  asleep,  and  did  not  wake  until  the 
next  morning. 


54  JOHN  ASUrON. 


CHAPTER  V. 

When  Miss  R arrived  at   the  hospital    that  morning, 

she  found  Ashton  greatly  refreshed  and  looking  much  better 
as  the  result  of  his  long  sleep.  She  expressed  great  gratifi- 
cation at  his  improved  condition,  took  a  seat  near  his 
couch,  and  they  were  soon  conversing  with  each  other  as 
freely  as  if  they  had  been  old  acquaintances.  In  the  course 
of  their  conversation  she  told  him  that  during  his  delirium 
he  had  talked  in  a  random  manner  about  various  experi- 
ences of  his  which  had  awakened  both  her  interest  and 
sympathy,  and  she  asked  him  to  tell  her  as  much  as  he  felt 
inclined  to  relate  of  his  past  life.  This  he  proceeded  to  do, 
and  the  marked  attention  which  she  gave  the  recital  showed 
that  she  was  deeply  interested  in  the  story  of  his  life.  Sim- 
ilarly friendly'  and  confidential  conversations  occurred  be- 
tween them  ever3'  day,  and  finally  their  intimacy  had 
become  such  that  Ashton  felt  authorized  to  broach  the 
subject  of  his  intended  effort  to  escape  when  removed  from 

the  hospital,  and  asked  Miss   R if  she  could    offer    any 

suggestion  that  might  aid  him  in  the  accomplishment  of 
his  purpose. 

"Yes,"  she  replied,  "and  I  had  already  thought  of  making 
such  a  suggestion  to  you.  As  I  have  before  stated,  my 
home  is  in  New  Castle,  Delaware,  and  if  you  could  succeed 
in  reaching  that  place  it  is  probable  that  some  means 
might  be  provided  by  which  you  could  get  back  to  the  Con- 
federate army.  My  father  is  fully  in  sympathy  with  the 
Southern  States  in  the  struggle  which  has  resulted  from 
the  steps  taken  by  them  in  the  exercise  of  their  constitu- 
tional rights  and  for  the  preservation  of  the  same,  and  he 
would  gladly  render  you  any  assistance  within  his  power, 
especially  if  he  were  informed  of  my  wishes  in  the  matter. 
I  have  already  written  him  about  your  case,  the  part  I  took 
in  the  means  used  for  3'our  recovery,  and  my  friendly  inter- 
est in  you,  and  all  that  would  be  necessary  to  secure  his  aid 
would  be  your  identification  as  the  wounded  Confederate 
soldier  concerning  whom  I  have  written  him.  This  can 
easily  be  accomplished,  but  it  must  be   done  in  such  a  man- 


JOHN  ASBTON.  55 

ner  that  there  will  be  no  chance  to  discover  your  purpose  in 
seeking  my  father,  or  my  connection  with  it ;  and  hence  it 
would  be  out  of  the  question  for  me  to  give  you  a  written 
communication  to  be  delivered  to  him.  The  plan  of  which 
I  have  been  thinking  is  this :  I  have  a  peculiarly  marked 
ring  that  is  an  heirloom  and  has  been  in  our  family  more 
than  a  hundred  years,  and  when  you  are  ready  to  leave 
here  I  will  give  j^ou  an  exact  drawing  of  the  ring  to  be 
delivered  to  my  father,  with  the  request  from  me  that  he 
will  render  3^ou  such  assistance  as  he  may  be  able  to  give 
you." 

"I  am  exceedingly  grateful,"  said  Ashton,"  foryourprof- 
fered  assistance;  but  fear  that  its  acceptance  might  in- 
volve your  father  and  endanger  his  life  or  liberty." 

Slie  replied  :  "Of  course  he  will  incur  some  risk  in  trying 
to  aid  you;  but  you  must  not  on  that  account  hesitate  to 
seek  his  assistance,  for  if  the  matter  is  properly  managed 
the  risk  will  be  slight  and  he  will  gladly  take  it." 

"I  will  gladly  accept  the  drawing,"  said  Ashton,  "but 
cannot  positively  promise  to  use  it  in  the  manner  suggested, 
for  the  reason  already  given.  In  any  event  it  will  prove  a 
precious  souvenir  of  the  generous  purpose  that  prompted 
its  execution,  and  a  sweet  reminder  of  the  kind-hearted 
friend  who  executed  it." 

As  the  days  passed  by  Ashton  rapidly  regained  his 
strength,  and  toward  the  last  of  September  his  convales- 
cence was  such  as  to  admit  of  his  removal  from  the  hos- 
pital. This  removal  was  perhaps  hastened  a  few  days  in 
consequence  of  the  fact  that  the  hospital  was  somewhat 
crowded  by  an  accession  of  Confederate  soldiers  who  had 
been  wounded  and  captured  in  the  battle  of  Sharpsburg  on 
the  17th  of  September.  On  the  day  before  his  removal 
Ashton   ascertained    that   it  would  occur  the  next  morning 

and  informedMiss  R of  the  fact,   and  told   her  that   he 

inferred  from  what  he  had  heard  that  he  would  be  confined 
for  at  least  two  or  three  weeks  in  the  Old  Capitol  prison  in 
the  city. 

She  at  once  gave  him  the  drawing  which  she  had  made 
of  her  ring,  and  again  insisted  that  he  must  use  it  in  the 
event  of  his  succeeding  in  reaching  her  father.     It  had  been 


56  JOHN  A  SB  TON. 

made  on  a  small  piece  of  paper,  and  he  easily  concealed  it 
under  the  lining  of  his  coat.     During  the  conversation    that 

ensued,  Miss  R told  Ashton    that,  without  any  definite 

reason  therefor,  she  was  impressed  with  the  idea  that  he 
would  succeed  in  escaping  from  prison  and  that  her  father 
would  in  some  way  aid  him  in  the  matter,  and  gave  him 
full  directions  for  finding  her  father's  residence  without  the 
necessity  of  further  inquiry  on  the  subject.  At  the  close  of 
their  conversation,  Ashton  again  spoke  of  his  deep  and  last- 
ing gratitude  to  Miss  R for  her  great  kindness   to  him, 

and  then  bade  her  good-bye  with  the  expressed  hope  that 
they  would  meet  again. 

On  the  following  morning  he  was  carried  to  the  Old  Capi- 
tol prison,  and  placed  on  the  second  floor  in  one  of  the 
front  rooms  overlooking  the  street  between  that  building 
and  the  capitol.  He  found  that  there  was  a  small  yard  in 
the  rear  of  the  building  where  the  prisoners  were  permitted  at 
stated  hours  to  walk  for  exercise;  and  during  his  stay  he 
made  full  use  of  the  opportunities  thus  offered  for  bodily 
exercise,  as  he  knew  that  he  would  need  all  of  his  strength 
in  order  to  succeed  in  making  his  escape  should  an  occasion 
for  so  doing  arise.     He  remained  in  the  old  capitol  building 

about  five  weeks,  and  during  that   period   saw  Miss   R 

several  times  from  his  prison  window,  as  she  passed  by  the 
building  as  often  as  she  could  safely  do  so  without  attract- 
ing the  attention  of  the  sentinels  on  the  sidewalk  in  front 
of  the  prison.  Ashton  always  greeted  her  with  a  friendly 
bow  and  a  pleasant  smile,  and  she  returned  his  salutations 
with  an  answering  smile.  She  feared  to  give  any  further 
evidence  of  recognition,  and  gave  this  with  the  utmost 
caution,  as  the  Federal  authorities  did  not  permit  any 
exchange  of  salutations  between  the  Confederate  prisoners 
in  the  old  capitol  building  and  the  citizens  of  Washington, 
and  punished  such  citizens  as  were  detected  in  the  same. 

Although  there  was  no  one  in  the  city  who  more 
thoroughly  sympathized  with  these  prisoners  than  did  Miss 

R ,  yet  there  were  some  who  were  more  daring  than  she 

was  in  the  manifestation  of  their  sympathy,  and  it  was  no 
unusual  sight  for  the  Confederate  soldiers,  as  they  looked 
out  through  their  prison  bars,  to  see  some  beautiful  woman 


JOHN  ASHTON.  67 

openly  salute  them  with  a  pleasant  bow  and  smile  and  an 
expressive  wave  of  her  handkerchief.  Such  salutations 
were  answered  by  the  raising  of  battered  and  weather- 
stained  hats  and  caps  and  by  other  silent  tokens  of  respect 
and  admiration,  and  would  have  received  a  more  demon- 
strative response  in  the  clarion  tones  of  "the  rebel  yell," 
but  for  the  fact  that  this  would  have  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  sentinels  below  to  the  conduct  of  these  noble 
and  kind-hearted  ladies,  and  thereby  caused  their  arrest. 

About  the  middle  of  October  Ashton  was  taken  to  Fort 
Delaware,  where  a  prison  for  Confederate  soldiers  had  been 
established.  Fort  Delaware  is  situated  on  an  island  in  the 
Delaware  River,  opposite  Delaware  City  and  about  seven 
miles  below  New  Castle.  A  considerable  part  of  the  island 
might  be  said  to  be  artificial,  as  it  is  below  the  level  of  high 
tide  and  is  protected  from  overflow  by  a  broad  and  high 
levee  that  encompasses  the  island. 

On  arriving  at  Fort  Delaware,  Ashton  was  greatly 
pleased  that  he  had  been  brought  to  that  place  as  it  was  so 

near  to  New  Castle,  where  Mr.  R resided  ;  and  this  close 

proximity  of  one  whom  he  believed  would  befriend  him,  if 
called  upon  for  assistance,  strengthened  his  determination 
to  lose  no  time  in  arranging  some  plan  by  which  he  would 
endeavor  to  escape.  Hence,  he  immediately  began  to  study 
the  topography  of  the  place  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining 
as  far  as  possible  what  difficulties  and  dangers  he  w^ould 
encounter  in  attempting  to  leave  the  island.  He  found  that 
the  prison  for  private  soldiers  and  non-commissioned 
officers  consisted  of  a  number  of  wooden  barracks  that  had 
been  erected  just  below  the  fort.  The  outer  row  of  bar- 
racks, together  with  the  long  dining-room,  formed  three 
sides  of  a  parallelogram,  the  other  side  being  formed  by  a 
high  partition  separating  this  inclosure  from  the  prison  for 
commissioned  officers,  and  as  this  outer  row  of  barracks 
had  no  doors  or  other  outlets  to  the  rear,  the  prison 
grounds  within  were  thereby  completely  protected  by  the 
same.  At  the  northeast  corner  of  the  inclosure  there  was 
an  opening  through  which  the  prisoners  had  free  access  at 
all  times  to  a  small  space  between  that  point  and  the  levee 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  island.     This  space  was  inclosed 


58  JOHN  ASIJTON. 

by  a  high  stockade  extending  almost  to  the  water's  edge, 
and  taking  in  part  of  the  levee.  Near  the  southeast  corner 
of  this  stockade  there  was  a  small  gate  through  which  the 
prisoners  passed  out  to  the  water  when  they  were  occa- 
sionally' allowed  to  bathe  in  the  river.  As  a  sentinel  was 
always  on  guard  at  a  point  about  twenty  paces  from  this 
gate,  no  extraordinary  precautions  had  been  taken  to  pre- 
vent its  being  opened,  and  it  was  fastened  by  means  of  a 
common  stock-lock. 

Ashton  decided  that  when  he  gotreadj^  for  his  attempt  to 
escape  it  should  be  made  by  way  of  this  gate.  The  most 
serious  objection  to  leaving  the  prison  at  this  place  was, 
that  it  was  the  farthest  point  of  the  island  from  the  Dela- 
ware shore,  where  he  wished  to  land,  and  hence  he  would 
have  to  swim  nearly  half  way  around  the  island  before  he 
could  strike  across  the  river  to  his  proposed  landing-place. 
However,  he  was  satisfied  that  it  was  the  only  place  that 
offered  any  reasonable  chance  for  him  to  reach  the  water 
v^ithout  being  seen  by  the  sentinels,  and  for  that  reason  he 
preferred  leaving  the  prison  at  this  point,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  his  so  doing  would  necessitate  an  extra 
amount  of  swimming  in  order  for  him  to  land  on  the  Dela- 
ware shore.  As  he  believed  it  would  be  impossible  for  him 
to  procure  a  key  that  would  fit  the  lock,  he  was  satisfied 
that  he  would  have  to  "pick  it,"  and  proceeded  to  con- 
struct an  instrument  by  means  of  which  he  hoped  to  do 
this.  Procuring  a  piece  of  wire  he  bent  it  at  a  right  angle 
about  half  an  inch  from  one  end,  and  inserted  the  other  end 
in  apiece  of  wood  to  be  used  as  a  handle  in  turning  his  thus 
improvised  skeleton-key.  It  was  a  simple  and  rude  instru- 
ment, but  he  felt  confident  that  it  would  answer  his  pur- 
pose unless  the  lock  was  so  constructed  as  to  prevent  the 
point  of  the  wire  from  coming  in  contact  with  the  bolt. 
His  next  step  was  to  secure  some  canteens  to  be  used  as 
floats  to  support  him  in  swimming  across  the  river.  As  he 
thought  that  four  canteens  would  be  necessary  for  his  pur- 
pose, and  the  possession  of  that  many  by  any  one  person 
would  excite  suspicion,  he  took  into  his  confidence  three  of 
his  fellow-prisoners    whom  he  could   trust,   and   obtained 


JOHN  ASH  TON.  59 

from  them  promises  that  they  would  let  him  have  their  can- 
teens when  the  time  arrived  for  his  attempted  escape. 

By  the  first  of  November  Ashton's  wound  had  entirely 
healed  and  he  had  regained  his  usual  strength,  and  only 
awaited  a  favorable  opportunity  for  attempting  his  escape. 
He  knew  that  the  attempt  must  be  made  on  a  very  dark 
night  in  order  to  insure  its  success.  On  the  night  of  No- 
vember 9th,  the  anxiously  awaited  opportunity  arrived. 
The  day  had  been  damp  and  cloudy,  and  shortly  after  sun- 
set the  wind  commenced  blowing  strongly  from  the  south- 
east and  bj'  10  o'clock  it  had  greatly  increased  in  strength 
and  a  heavy  rain  was  falling.  The  darkness  was  intense, 
and  Ashton  decided  that  he  would  wait  no  longer,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  arrange  for  his  departure.  Taking  from  its 
place  of  concealment  under  his  coat-lining,  the  paper  which 

Miss  R had  given  him,  he  put  it  in  a  water-proof  match 

box  to  protect  it  while  he  should  be  swimming  across  the 
river.  He  had  that  night  obtained  the  three  canteens  which 
had  been  promised  him  as  before  mentioned,  and  taking  off 
his  coat,  he  strapped  them  and  his  own  canteen  around  his 
body  so  that  they  rested  on  his  back,  just  below  his  shoul- 
der-blades. He  then  put  on  his  coat,  thereby  hiding  the 
canteens  from  view,  and  quietly  left  the  barracks.  At  the 
place  where  the  sentinel  near  the  small  gate  was  posted, 
there  was  a  lamp  that  was  kept  burning  all  night,  and  Ash- 
ton feared  that  the  light  from  this  lamp  might  cause  his 
detection.  When  he  had  arrived  within  thirty-five  or  forty 
yards  of  this  sentinel's  post  and  at  a  point  where  he 
could  have  seen  the  lamp  if  it  had  been  burning,  he  was 
rejoiced  to  find  that  it  was  not  lighted.  Owing  to  its 
exposed  position  it  had  shortly  before  been  extinguished  by 
the  gale  that  was  blowing,  and  as  the  sentinel  could  not 
leave  his  post  at  this  time  to  procure  means  for  relighting 
the  lamp,  he  was  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  relief-guard 
for  the  accomplishment  of  this  purpose. 

Ashton  cautiously  advanced  toward  the  gate  and  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  it  without  attracting  the  attention  of 
the  sentinel.  The  latter  could  not  have  seen  him  on  account 
of  the  intense  darkness  even  if  he  had  been  looking  directly 
at  the  gate,  but  he  was  looking  in  a  different  direction,  for 


60  JOUN  ASHTOJSr. 

the  gate  being  somewhat  south  of  his  post  and  the  furious 
southeast  wind  having  caused  him  to  turn  his  back  to  it, 
his  face  was  toward  the  northwest.  By  passing  his  fingers 
over  the  face  of  the  lock,  Ashton  soon  found  the  keyhole 
and  proceeded  to  insert  into  it  the  instrument  that  he  had 
constructed  for  the  purpose  of  picking  the  lock.  He  found 
that  he  had  made  a  correct  guess  as  to  the  length  of  the 
key,  and  also  that  there  was  nothing  to  prevent  the  point 
of  his  instrument  from  reaching  the  bolt  of  the  lock,  and  on 
reaching  it  the  instrument  caught  firmly  in  the  slot  of  the 
bolt.  Giving  the  instrument  a  strong  and  steady  twist  he 
was  gratified  to  find  that  the  bolt  responded  to  the  force 
thus  exerted  on  it  and  gradually  returned  to  its  socket,  and 
in  a  moment  the  gate  was  unlocked.  Withdrawing  his 
instrument  from  the  lock,  he  opened  the  gate,  passed 
through  and  closed  it,  and  then  inserting  the  instrument 
into  the  keyhole  from  the  outside  succeeded  in  relocking 
the  gate.  This,  as  the  reader  will  readily  understand,  was 
done  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  anearly  discovery  of  the 
fact  that  a  prisoner  had  escaped.  Having  thus  secured 
the  gate,  Ashton  crept  down  to  the  water's  edge  and  was 
about  to  enter  the  river,  when  the  thought  occurred  to  him 
that  perhaps  the  exceedingly  inclement  weather  had  caused 
the  sentinels  along  the  levee  to  be  called  in  nearer  to  the 
barracks  and,  if  so,  that  he  could  make  the  half  circuit  of 
the  island  on  land  instead  of  in  the  water  as  he  had  at  first 
contemplated  doing.  Acting  on  this  idea,  hecautiously  pro- 
ceeded down  the  river  along  the  levee,  and  on  reaching  a 
point  where  a  sentinel  was  usually  posted,  discovered  that 
none  was  there.  He  made  a  similar  discovery  on  arriving 
at  the  next  point  where  a  sentinel  was  accustomed  to  be 
on  guard,  for  his  supposition  was  correct  and  all  of  the 
sentinels  had  been  called  in  from  that  part  of  the  levee  and 
were  on  guard  nearer  the  barracks.  Hence  he  proceeded 
rapidly  along  the  levee  until  he  had  passed  around  the  lower 
end  of  the  island  and  then  entered  the  water  and  struck  out 
boldly  for  the  Delaware  shore.  He  was  an  expert  swimmer 
and,  being  buoyed  up  by  his  canteens  and  greatly  aided  by 
the  wind  and  waves  coming  from  the  southeast,  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  Delaware  shore  in   a  comparatively   short 


JOUN  ASHTON.  61 

time.  He  landed  a  short  distance  above  Delaware  Cit}', 
having  taken  a  northwest  course  in  order  to  get  the  full 
benefit  of  the  wind  and  waves  that  bore  him  in  that 
direction. 

On  reaching  the  shore  he  unstrapped  the  canteens  from 
his  body,  filled  them  with  water  and  threw  them  into  the 
river.  He  then  started  off  in  a  brisk  walk,  bearing  up  the 
river  in  the  direction  of  New  Castle,    as  he   had  decided  to 

comply  with  Miss  R 's  wish  and  call  on   her  father  for 

assistance.  Being  unacquainted  with  the  country,  he  could 
not  advance  with  any  degree  of  certainty  as  to  whether  he 
was  going  in  the  right  direction,  and  only  hoped  to  proceed 
in  a  general  northerly  course.  After  walking  about  a  mile 
he  entered  a  road  that  appeared  to  lead  in  the  direction  that 
he  wished  to  go,  and  he  decided  to  keep  in  it  as  long  as  its 
course  remained  the  same. 

He  had  followed  this  road  for  two  miles,  passing  a  num- 
ber of  houses  in  which  there  was  no  sign  of  alight,  when  he 
came  to  a  house  near  the  roadside  in  which  there  was  a 
bright  light  burning.  As  it  was  now  after  12  o'clock,  he  was 
surprised  to  see  this  light  and,  on  approaching  the  house, 
naturally  looked  in  through  a  window  from  which  the  cur- 
tains were  drawn.  The  sight  which  he  beheld  at  once 
arrested  his  attention  and  aroused  his  sympathy.  Near 
the  center  of  the  room  was  a  cradle,  and  lying  in  it  was  a 
little  child  that  appeared  to  be  very  sick  and  was  breathing 
with  great  difficulty.  By  the  side  of  the  cradle  knelt  a  well- 
dressed  young  woman  whose  face  was  intensely  sad,  and 
indicated  that  she  was  in  the  deepest  distress  and  per- 
plexity. Standing  by  her  and  gazing  down  upon  the  face 
of  the  child  was  a  young  man,  whose  face  was  also  exceed- 
ingly sad  and  bore  a  distressed  and  helpless  look,  as  if  he 
were  painfully  conscious  of  his  inability  to  relieve  the  child, 
and  that  his  grief  had  thereby  been  greatly  intensified.  So 
deeply  absorbed  was  Ashton  in  contemplating  the  scene  be- 
fore him,  and  so  thoroughly  was  his  sympathy  aroused  by 
its  sight,  that  he  entirely  forgot  for  the  moment  his  own 
condition  and  danger,  and  thought  only  of  the  suffering 
child  and  its  distressed  parents,  and  felt  irresistibly  impelled 
to  offer  his  sympathy  to  the  latter  and  endeavor  to  relieve 


62  JOHN  ASH  TON. 

the  sufferings  of  the  former.  Acting  on  this  impulse,  Ashton 
knocked  at  the  door  and,  upon  its  being  opened,  walked 
into  the  room,  explained  the  cause  of  his  apparent  intru- 
sion, and  asked  if  he  could  render  any  assistance  in  an 
effort  to  relieve  the  child. 

The  parents  thanked  him  for  the  kindly  interest  he  had 
manifested  in  the  child's  condition,  and  said  that  there  was 
nothing  he  could  do  to  aid  them  in  relieving  its  sufferings. 
Noticing  the  wet  condition  of  Ashton's  clothes,  the  man 
told  him  he  was  incurring  great  danger  in  wearing  them, 
and  suggested  that  they  be  immediately  exchanged  for  dry 
garments. 

Ashton  gratefully'  accepted  his  kind  offer,  and  was  at 
once  conducted  to  an  adjoining  room  where  his  wet  gar- 
ments were  soon  exchanged  for  a  plain  suit  of  citizen's 
clothes.  Returning  to  the  room  where  the  mother  w^as  still 
anxiously  bending  over  her  sick  child,  Ashton  made  such 
suggestions  for  its  comfort  as  occurred  to  him,  and 
although  they  did  not  materially  help  the  child,  they  indi- 
cated his  anxious  concern  for  its  condition  and  also  his 
great  s^'^mpathy  for  its  distressed  parents. 

In  the  course  of  an  hour  the  child  appeared  to  be  consid- 
erablj''  relieved  from  its  suffering  and  shortly  thereafter 
went  to  sleep.  Its  mother  then  arose  and  told  her  husband 
that  she  would  go  into  another  room  to  take  a  short 
nap,  and  asked  him  to  awaken  her  in  about  an  hour,  or 
sooner  if  the  child  should  awake  before  the  expiration  of 
that  time. 

Immediately  after  she  retired,  Ashton  asked  her  husband 
if  he  would  permit  him  to  bring  his  clothes  into  the  room 
for  the  purpose  of  drying  them  before  the  fire,  so  that  they 
would  be  in  a  condition  to  be  worn  when  he  got  ready 
to  leave. 

"Do  not  concern  ^^ourself  about  drying  your  clothes," 
said  the  gentleman,  "as  you  will  have  no  further  use  for 
them." 

"You  are  mistaken,"  replied  Ashton.  "I  will  have  a  very 
important  use  for  them  as  I  will  have  to  wear  them,  for  I 
really  have  no  other  clothes." 


JOHN  A  SB  TON.  63 

"[  know,"  said  the  ge:itle:iian,  "that  you  had  no  other 
clothes  when  you  came  here;  but  now  yon  have  a  full  suit 
which,  although  plain,  is  comparatively  new  and  much 
better  adapted  to  your  use  under  existing  circumstances 
than  would  be  the  clothes  which  you  have  taken  off." 

The  gentleman's  use  of  the  expression,  "under  existing 
circumstances,"  in  connection  with  what  he  said  about  the 
two  suits  of  clothes,  caused  Ashton  to  start,  and  look  at 
him  with  a  quick,  scrutinizing  glance  to  see  if  his  face  gave 
any  additional  emphasis  to  this  suggestive  expression.  See- 
ing that  it  did  not,  Ashton  replied: 

"I  do  not  at  all  understand  your  remark,  for  the  clothes 
which  I  have  on  do  not  belong  to  me,  and  will  be  returned 
to  you  before  I  leave  here,  and  I  cannot  see  how  they  should 
be  better  adapted  to  my  use  than  my  own  clothes,  if  the 
latter  were   only  dry." 

"If  you  really  do  not  understand  my  remark,"  said  the 
gentleman,  "I  suppose  I  will  have  to  explain  it,  and  also 
make  known  the  purpose  I  have  formed  concerning  you, 
although  I  would  have  greatly  preferred  not  doing  so,  as 
the  danger  I  am  incurring  would  thereby  have  been  lessened. 
Immediately  after  you  entered  the  room  I  noticed  that 
your  clothes  were  of  military  style,  and  as  they  were  not 
blue  I  knew  that  j^ou  could  not  be  a  Federal  soldier.  As 
there  is  a  prison  for  Confederate  soldiers  at  Fort  D^^laware, 
which  is  only  a  few  miles  from  here,  and  as  you  appeared 
to  be  too  thoroughly  drenched  from  head  to  foot  to  have 
been  put  in  that  plight  by  the  rain  that  has  fallen  to-night, 
I  at  once  concluded  that  you  were  a  Confederate  prisoner 
who  had  escaped  from  that  prison  by  swimming  the  river. 
The  great  concern  which  you  manifested  in  the  condition  of 
my  child,  and  your  warm  sympathy  for  my  wife  and  mj^- 
self  in  our  deep  distress,  touched  my  heart  and  awakened  in 
me  the  liveliest  interest  in  j-our  case,  and  I  determined 
to  aid  you  in  your  further  efforts  to  escape,  but  thought 
that  it  would  be  best,  at  least  for  myself,  to  keep  you  in 
ignorance  of  m\  purpose.  Knowing  that  your  clothes 
would  attract  attention,  as  they  were  of  a  military  cut 
and  not  those  of  a  Federal  soldier,  I  decided  to  let  them 
remain  in  their  wet  condition,  and  then,  when  you  were 
ready    to  leave,  I    would  have    an  excuse    for  insisting   on 


64  JOHN  ASBTON. 

your  further  use  of  the  clothes  I  had  loaned  you,  simply  sug- 
gesting that  you  could  return  them  when  you  reached  3'our 
destination.  Hence  it  was  that  I  was  seemingly  lacking  in 
consideration  and  courtesy  as  your  host,  both  in  not 
promptly  having  your  clothes  dried  without  being  asked 
and  also  in  offering  an  excuse  for  not  doing  so  after  your 
request  in  regard  to  the  matter  had  been  made.  In  addition 
to  the  reasons  already  given,  there  is  also  another  why 
I  was  willing  to  aid  you  in  your  effort  to  escape,  and  that 
is  the  fact  that  I  do  not  at  all  approve  of  the  war  of 
coercion  which  is  being  waged  against  the  Southern  Sates, 
and  they  have  my  sympathy  in  the  struggle.  That  fact,  I 
will  add,  accounts  for  my  presence  here  at  this  time;  for  if 
I  had  believed  that  the  United  States  were  right  in  attempt- 
ing, by  force  of  arms,  to  coerce  the  seceding  States  back  into 
the  Union,  I  would  now  be  at  the  front  as  a  soldier  in  the 
Federal  army." 

Ashton  had  listened  with  mingled  emotions  of  surprise, 
admiration,  and  gratitude  to  this  explanation,  and  at  its 
close,  said : 

"1  cannot  hope  to  repay  the  kindness  you  have  already 
shown  me  and  the  still  greater  kindness  which  you  purpose 
concerning  me;  but  I  can  and  will  ever  cherish  the  deepest 
gratitude  for  the  services  you  have  rendered  me,  and  remem- 
ber with  emotions  of  highest  admiration  and  warmest 
regard  the  true,  noble,  and  kind-hearted  man  you  have  proven 
yourself  to  be.  While  I  would  gladly  tell  you  everything 
about  my  recent  experience  and  future  plans,  I  am  satisfied, 
from  what  you  have  said,  that  it  is  best  that  1  should  tell 
you  nothing— not  even  my  name — so  that  if  you  should  be 
interrogated  concerning  me,  and  it  becomes  necessary-  for 
you  to  answer  such  interrogation,  you  can  truthfullj^  state 
that  all  you  know  about  me  is  the  fact  that  I  sought  and 
obtained  shelter  here  during  the  night,  and  left  the  next 
morning  without  having  given  either  my  name  or  my  desti- 
nation." 

"You have  anticipated  my  wishes,"  replied  thegentleman, 
"and  expressed  my  own  views  in  regard  tothematter.  And 
now  that  you  may  obtain  some  sleep  and  rest  before  morn- 
ing, I  will  conduct  you  to  your  bed." 


JOHN  ASHTON.  65 

He  then  conducted  Ashton  to  a  bedroom  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  house,  and,  after  bidding  him  goodnight,  there 
left  him. 

Ashton  immediately  retired  and  soon  fell  asleep.  He  was 
awakened  by  his  host  about  dawn,  and  ere  the  sun  had 
risen,  had  heartily  partaken  of  a  substantial  breakfast  and 
was  read}'  to  resume  his  journey.  He  had  inquired  as  to 
the  condition  of  the  sick  child,  and  was  rejoiced  to  learn 
that  it  had  greatly  improved,  and  that  the  child  was  appar- 
ently out  of  danger.  Just  before  Ashton  got  ready  to  leave, 
his  host  offered  to  loan  him  money  to  defray  his  traveling 
expenses,  supposing  that  he  probably  had  only  Confederate 
money,  which  was  entirely  worthless  in  that  section. 

Ashton  thanked  him  for  his  kind  offer,  but  declined  to 
accept  it,  stating  that  he  had  sufficient  money  to  meet  his 
immediate  wants.  This  was  true,  as  Ashton,  like  many 
other  Confederate  cavalrymen  who  were  frequently  in  that 
part  of  Virginia  which  was  alternately  occupied  by  each  of 
the  contending  armies,  sometimes  had  occasion  to  use 
United  States  currency  in  dealing  with  the  citizens,  and 
hence  had  accumulated  a  supply  of  "greenbacks"  for  that 
purpose.  Having  obtained  directions  as  to  the  route  to 
New  Castle,  Ashton  again  thanked  his  host  for  his  kindness, 
bade  him  and  his  wife  good-bye  and  left  them.  As  he  was 
leaving,  his  host  laughingly  and  with  a  knowing  wink,  said: 

"If  you  should  not  find  a  favorable  opportunity  for  return- 
ing the  clothes,  do  not  worry  yourself  about  the  matter,  as 
they  are  of  no  great  value." 

5 


JOHN  ASIITON. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

As  the  distance  to  New  Castle  was  short  and  Ashton  was 
a  fast  walker,  he  arrived  at  that  place  early  in  the  morning. 

Wishing  to  see  Mr.  R as  soon  as   possible  and    alone, 

he  immediately  proceeded  to  his  house,  the  location  of  which 

he  had    learned   from  Miss    R ,  as    before    stated.    He 

found  that  Mr.  R had  not  yet  gone  to  his  place  of  busi- 
ness, and  shortly  after  he  was  ushered  into  the  house,  that 
gentleman  madehis  appearance.  He  was  apparently  about 
fifty  years  of  age,  had  a  ruddy  complexion,  rather  light 
hair,  bright  blue  eyes  and  a  frank  and  genial  countenance. 
When  he  entered  the  room,  Ashton  arose  and  said : 

"My  name  is  John  Ashton,  and  I  presume  that  I  have  the 
pleasure   of  addressing  Mr.  R ." 

"Yes  sir,"  said  the  latter, extending  his  hand,  "that  is  my 
name.  Please  be  seated,  Mr.  Ashton.  And  now,  how  can  I 
serve  you  ?" 

Resuming  his  seat,  Ashton  said: 

"You  have  doubtless  been  surprised  by  this  informal  call 
on  the  part  of  a  stranger,  especiallj^  as  I  come  to  your  house 
instead  of  your  place  of  business.  My  explanation  and 
excuse  for  my  conduct  is  the  fact  that  I  desired  to  see  you 
alone  and  as  soon  as  possible  after  reaching  this  place,  and 
hence,  on  arriving  here  this  morning,!  immediately  came  to 
your  house.  As  your  time  is  valuable  and  my  business  is 
urgent,  I  will  at  once  make  known  the  object  of  my  visit.  I 
am  a  Confederate  soldier,  was  wounded  and  captured  dur- 
ing the  battle  of  Manassas  last  August,  and  afterward 
carried  to  a  hospital  in  Washington  City,  and  there  your 
kind-hearted  and  noble  daughter.  Miss  Annie  R ,  care- 
fully nursed  me  during  a  period  of  dangerous  illness  and 
delirium,  and  ministered  to  my  necessities  in  such  manner  as 
to  save  my  life.  After  mj^  return  to  consciousness  and  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  my  stay  in  the  hospital,  she  continued 
to  manifest  an  interest  in  my  welfare,  and  showed  me  much 
kindness.  She  explained  why  she  had  come  to  the  hospital 
as  a  nurse,  telling  me  of  your  sytiipathy  for  the  South  in 
the  war  that  is  now  in  progress,  and  of  her   own    feelings 


JOHN  ASHTON.  67 

in  regard  to  the  matter.  Just  before  I  left  the  hospital  she 
stated  that,  if  I  could  escape  from  captivity  and  succeed  in 
reaching  this  place,  you  might  be  able  to  assist  me  in  return- 
ing to  the  Confederate  army,  telling  me  that  she  had  writ- 
ten you  concerning  me,  and  the  part  that  she  had  taken  in 
securing  my  recovery  from  sickness.  She  said  that  in  order 
to  obtain  your  assistance  it  would  be  necessary  only  to 
enable  you  to  identify  me  as  the  person  about  whom  she 
had  written  you,  and  provided  for  this  identification  by  giv- 
ing me  a  drawing  of  a  peculiarly  marked  ring  belonging  to 
her,  and  told  me  to  present  it  to  you  with  the  request  from 
her  that  you  would  aid  me  in  my  effort  to  get  back  into  the 
Confederate  lines.  I  stated  that  I  could  not  positively 
promise  to  call  on  you  for  assistance  as  I  feared  that  by 
giving  it  you  might  endanger  your  life  or  liberty.  She  said 
that  if  the  matter  were  properly  managed  the  risk  would 
be  slight  and  you  would  gladl3'  take  it.  I  was  taken  from 
Washington  City  to  Fort  Delaware  about  three  weeks  ago, 
and  last  night  succeeded  in  escaping  from  the  latter  place 
by  swimming  the  river,  and  as  I  was  so  near  your  place  of 
residence  I  decided  that  I  would  come  here,  have  an  inter- 
view with  you  and  ascertain  whether  you  could  render  me 
any  assistance  without  danger  to  yourself.  And  now  I 
will  deliver  the  drawing  of  which  I  spoke,  with  the  request 
that  if  you  cannot  assist  me  without  danger  to  yourself, 
you  wnll  not  undertake  to  do  so." 

Ashton  then  handed  the  drawing  to  Mr.  R and,  after 

glancing  at  it,  the  latter  said  : 

"Your  own  statement,  Mr.  Ashton,  taken  in  connection 
with  what  my  daughter  has  written  me,  would  have  been 
sufficient  to  satisfy  me  as  to  your  identity,  and  this  draw- 
ing furnishes  perfect  proof  of  the  same ;  for  I  recognize  in 
it  an  accurate  representation  of  my  daughter's  ring.  You 
haveacted  wisely  incoming  to  me  in  your  present  condition  ; 
for  without  the  aid  of  some  friend  it  would  be  impossible 
for  you  to  effect  your  return  to  the  Confederate  army,  on 
account  of  the  extensive  and  thorough  system  of  both  mili- 
tary and  civil  surveillance  which  has  been  established  by  the 
Federal  Government.  I  cannot  deny  that  I  will  incur  dan- 
ger in  trying  to  assist  you,  but  this  fact  will  not    deter   me 


68  JOHN  ASHTON. 

from  the  effort,  for  my  daughter  correctly  stated  what 
would  be  my  course  in  the  matter  in  saying  that  T  would 
gladly  take  the  risk  in  order  to  aid  you.  I  have  no  definite 
plan  in  view  at  present,  but  hope  that  during  the  morning  I 
may  mature  one  by  means  of  which  I  can  assist  you  with- 
out any  great  danger  to  myself.  As  it  is  now  near  the  time 
at  which  I  should  go  to  my  place  of  business,  I  must 
arrange  for  your  concealment  here  during  my  absence.  Did 
anyone  see  you  enter  my  house,  or  did  you  make  any  inquiry 
as  to  my  place  of  residence  ?" 

"No  one  except  the  servant  who  ushered  me  in  saw  me 
enter  the  house,"  said  Ashton,"and  I  made  no  inquiry  as  to 
your  place  of  residence,  your  daughter  having  given  me  the 
number  and  location  of  the  house;  and  hence  I  found  my 
way  here  w^ithout  having  to  ask  directions  in  regard  to 
the  same." 

"That  is  fortunate,"  said  Mr.  R ,  "for  it  is   best  that 

your  visit  to  me  should  not  be  known  and  that  your  pres- 
ence in  the  town  should,  as  far  as  possible, be  concealed  dur- 
ing your  stay.  In  order  that  these  desirable  objects  may  be 
accomplished,  I  will  now  conduct  you  to  my  study,  where 
you  will  be  entirely  free  from  intrusion,  as  no  one  enters  it 
except  by  my  direction,  or  at  'my  call  when  I  am  there." 

Mr.  R then  conducted  Ashton  to  a  room  on  the  second 

floor  of  the  house,  at  the  rear  of  the  building  and  overlook- 
ing the  garden.  It  contained  a  large  bookcase  filled  with 
volumes  of  the  choicest  literature,  a  centre-table  on  which 
there  were  several  new  magazines  and  daily  papers,  a  writing- 
desk,  several  eas3^  chairs,  a  luxurious  rocker  and  an  inviting 
lounge ;  and  the  contents  of  the  room,  together  with  a  bright 
fire  that  was  burning  in  the  grate,  gave  it  an  air  of  cosy 
comfortableness  that  was  exceedingly  pleasing.     Going  to 

his  writing-desk,  Mr.  R took  from  one  of  the  drawers  a 

map  and,  handing  it  to  Ashton,  said  : 

"This  is  the  latest  and  most  accurate  war  map  of  North- 
ern Virginia  and,  while  awaiting  my  return,  it  would  be 
well  for  you  to  study  the  same  and  thoroughly  familiarize 
yourself  with  the  topography  of  the  section  through  which 
you  will  have  to  pHS^?  in  your  effort  to  reach  the  Confeder- 
ate army.     As  yon  doubtless  know,  General  McClellan  was 


JOHN  ASHTON.  69 

removed  from  the  command  of  the  Federal  army  in  North- 
ern Virginia  on  the  7th  day  of  thismonth,  and  General  Burn- 
side  has  been  placed  in  command  of  the  same.  Before  his 
removal  General  McClellan  had  concentrated  the  army 
around  Warrenton  and  along  the  north  bank  of  the  Rap- 
paliannock  river,  and  it  is  still  there.  But  in  studying  the 
map  with  a  view  to  your  contemplated  movements,  you 
must  do  so  upon  the  idea  that  the  Federal  army  will  shortly 
be  at  Fredericksburg,  for  General  Burnside  is  reported  as 
favoring  its  removal  to  that  point.  You  may  expect  me 
back  at  noon,  and  I  hope  that  by  that  time  I  will  have 
forined  some  plan  by  means  of  which  you  can  succeed  in 
passing  through  the  Federal  lines." 

Mr.  R then  left   Ashton,    and  the   latter  immediately 

began  a  study  of  the  map  which  had  been  furnished  him. 
Being  satisfied  that  the  plan  which  Mr  R would  sug- 
gest for  his  movements  would  necessitate  his  passage 
through  Washington  City,  he  had  been  gratified  to  learn 
that  the  Federal  army  would  soon  be  removed  to  Fred- 
ericksburg, as  this  would  leave  Fauquier  county  (where 
that  army  then  was)  comparatively  free  from  the  presence 
of  Federal  soldiers,  and  thus  increase  his  faciHties  for  reach- 
ing the  Confederate  army  by  crossing  the  upper  Rappahan- 
nock at  one  of  the  numerous  fords  above  its  junction  with 
the  Rapidan.  Hence,  on  examining  the  map  and  becoming 
satisfied  that  General  Burnside's  base  of  supplies  would  be 
Acquia  Creek, on  the  Potomac,  when  his  armj  reached  Fred- 
ericksburg, Ashton  decided  that  when  he  should  leave  Wash- 
ington City  he  would  go  on  the  Orange  and  Alexandria 
railroad  as  far  as  he  could  safely  travel  toward  Rappa- 
hannock Station,  and  then  leaving  the  railroad  endeavor  to 
elude  the  Federal  pickets  along  the  Rappahannock  and 
cross  the  river  into  Culpeper  county. 

About  noon  Mr.  R returned,  and  at  once  made  known 

to  Ashton  the  plan  which  he  had  devised  for  his  escape, 
which  we  will  give  in  his  own  words. 

"It  will  be  necessary,"  he  said,  "for  you  to  go  to  Washing- 
ton City  and  perhaps  remain  there  several  days,  and  in  order 
that  you  may  do  this  without  exciting  suspicion,  you  must 
have   some  ostensible  business    calling   you   there.      Hence 


70  JOHN  AS II TON. 

I  have  prepared  some  orders  for  merchandise  to  be  presented 
bj  you  to  two  wholesale  merchants  in  Washington  with 
whom  I  occasionally  have  dealings,  and  who,  like  myself, 
sympathize  with  the  South  in  the  present  struggle.  I  have 
also  written  these  gentlemen  letters  introducing  you  to  them 
as  Mr.  James  Gray,  who  has  recently  been  employed  by  me, 
and  in  the  letters  have  commended  you  to  their  favor.     One 

of  these  gentlemen,  Mr.  B ,  is  so  thoroughly  in  sympathy 

with  the  South  that«y.ou  would  run  no  risk  in  revealing  to 
him  your  real  name  and  character,  and  if,  as  I  fear,  it  should 
become  necessary  for  you  to  have  a  passport  in  order  to 
leave  Washington  for  the  seat  of  war,  you  may  safely  ask 
his  assistance  in  procuring  one.  Here  is  a  ticket  to  Wash- 
ington which  I  have  purchased  for  you,  and  also  two  hun- 
dred dollars  to  be  used  as  the  exigencies  of  j^our  condition 
may  require.  As  it  is  nearly  time  for  the  arrival  of  the 
train  for  Wilmington,  you  had  best  start  to  the  station,  and 
hence  I  will  not  longer  detain  you." 

Ashton  was  deeply  affected  by  the  kindness  and  generosity 
of  Air.  R ,  and  gave  expression  to  his  grateful  apprecia- 
tion of  the  same  in  heartfelt  thanks,  and  assured  the  latter 
that  the  ticket  and  money  given  him  were  accepted  as  a  loan, 

to  be  repaid  as  soon  as  possible.     Mr.  R then  conducted 

him  to  the  front  door  and,  after  they  had  bidden  each  other 
good-bye,  Ashton  left  the  house  without  being  seen  by  any 
of  the  family.  He  immediately  repaired  to  the  railroad 
station  and  in  a  few  minutes  had  boarded  the  train  and  was 
on  his  way  to  Wilmington.  At  that  place  he  made  close 
connection  with  the  train  for  Baltimore  and  Washington 
and  reached  the  latter  city  that  night.  Getting  into  a  cab 
he  was  driven  to  one  of  the  principal  hotels  and  there 
registered  as  "James  Gray,  Baltimore."  Shortly  after  his 
arrival  he  retired  to  the  room  which  had  been  assigned  him 
and  was  soon  enjoying  a  refreshing  sleep.  The  next  day 
he  called  on  the  merchants  to  whom  he  had  letters  of 
introduction,  was  pleasantly  received  by  them  and,  after  leav- 
ing with  them  the  orders  sent  by  Mr.  R for  merchan- 
dise, concluded  that  he  would  take  a  stroll  over  a  part 
of  the  city. 


JOHN  ASIITON.  71 

He  had  gone  down  Pennsylvania  Avenue  from  the  Capi- 
tol, passed  the  President's  house,  the  State,  Navy,  and  War 
Departments,  and  was  walking  out  toward  the  statue  of 
Washington,  when  a  lady  turned  into  the  avenue  from 
Eighteenth  Street,  and  came  toward  him.     On  meeting   her 

he  was  delighted  to  find  that  she   was  Miss   R ■.     She  at 

once  recognized  him  and  gave  him  a  cordial  greeting. 
Fearing  that  he  might  attract  attention  by  being  seen  with 
her  on  the  street,  he  obtained  her  address  and  told  her  that 
he  would  visit  her  that  evening,  and  then  resumed  his  stroll. 

At  the  appointed  hour  he  called    on  Miss    R and    found 

her  impatiently  awaiting  his  arival,  as  she  was  anxious  to 
ascertain  how  he  had  effected  his  escape  from  prison,  and 
also  wished  to  see  and  converse  with  him  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble. He  at  once  proceeded  to  give  her  a  full  account  of  the 
manner  in  which  he  escaped  from  Fort  Delaware  and  his 
subsequent  experience  that  night,  and  then  told  her  of  the 
generous  and  ethcient  part  which  her  father  had  taken  in 
aiding  him  to  reach  "Washington  in  safety. 

"I  knew  that  he  w^ould  do  all  in  his  power  to  aid  you," 
she  said,  "and  I  am  so  glad  that  you  gave  him  an  oppor- 
tunity for  assisting  you.  We  must  now  devise  some  means 
by  which  you  can  safely  leave  Washington  and  return  to 
the  Confederate  army.  I  learned  from  the  surgeon  at  the 
hospital  that  Captain  Neill,  of  General  Burnside's  staff  was 
here  yesterday  with  dispatches  from  General  Burnside  to 
General  Halleck,  and  it  is  reported  that  the  Federal  army  is 
about  to  march  dov/n  the  Rappahannock  to  Fredericksburg. 
This  indicates  that  an  important  movement  is  on  hand,  and 
consequently  the  newspapers  will  send  correspondents  to 
the  front  in  order  to  keep  fully  posted  in  regard  to  trans- 
piring events.  It  has  therefore  occurred  to  me  that  if  you 
could  obtain  a  passport  as  'a  war  correspondent,'  an  excel- 
lent opportunity  would  thereby  be  afforded  you  for  reach- 
ing a  point  from  which  you  could  easily  pass  through  the 
Federal  lines.'' 

"Your  suggestion  is  an  excellent  one,"  said  Ashton,  "and 
if  possible,  I  will  carry  it  out.  By  it  I  am  reminded  of  the 
fact  that  your  father  informed  me  that  I  might  safely  re- 
veal myself  to  Mr.  B ,  to  whom  he   gave  me  a   letter   of 


72  JO  UN  ASHTON. 

introduction,  and  that  he  could  perhaps  obtain  a  pass- 
port  for  me." 

"Yes,"  said  Miss  R ,  "I  think   that   you   might  safely 

reveal  yourself  to  him,  but  this  need  not  be  done  by  you  in 
person;  and,  in  order  to  avoid  the  risk  which  both  you  and 
he  might  incur  by  personal  interviews,  I  think  it  best  that 
the  matter  should  be  arranged  by  a  third  person.  As  I  am 
on  very  friendly  terms  with  him,  I  will  undertake  the 
arrangement  of  the  matter  for  you." 

"There  is  no  limit  to  your  kindness,"  said  Ashton,  "and  I 
am  overwhelmed  by  a  sense  of  the  obligation  under  which 
it  has  placed  me.  Your  generous  desire  to  befriend  me  has 
seemingly  rendered  you  oblivious  of  the  danger  which  you 
will  incur  in  the  matter,  and  I  must  not  be  so  selfish  as  to  let 
you  take  this  risk." 

"You  are  mistaken,"  replied  Miss  R ,"in  supposingthat 

I  will  incur  any  danger;  for  if  Mr.  B should  excite   any 

suspicion  in  his  effort  to  secure  the  passport,  this  suspicion 
will  rest  only  on  him,  as  I  shall  so  arrange  matters  that  I 
will  not  be  known  in  the  undertaking.  Hence,  you  must  let 
me  carry  out  my  plan,  and  while  the  effort  is  being  made  to 
obtain  the  passport,  you  had  best  leave  the  hotel  where  you 
are  now  staying  and  secure  lodging  in  some  secluded  part 
of  the  city." 

"I  perceive,"  said  Ashton,  "that  I  cannot  maintain  the 
position  taken  by  me  in  the  matter,  and  must  submit  to 
your  wishes  concerning  it.  As  I  have  assumed  the  name  of 
James  Gray  and  registered  as  from  Baltimore,  I  suppose 
that  it  will  be  best  to  obtain  the  passport  for  me  under  that 
name  and  as  the  representative  of  a  Baltimore  paper." 

"Yes,"  said  Miss  R ,  "and  another  reason  for  such  an 

arrangement  is  the  fact  that,  as  you  are  a  Southerner  and 
show  it  in  your  appearance  and  speech,  you  would  more 
readily  pass  for  a  Baltimorean  than  for  a  Philadelphian, 
Bostonian,  or  New  Yorker,  and  it  would  naturally  be  sup- 
posed that  you  reside  in  the  place  where  the  paper 
represented  by  you  is  published." 

After  conversing   awhile  longer  with  Miss  R ,  Ashton 

left  her  with  the  understanding   that  he   should  call   three 


JOHN  A  SB  TON.  73 

days  thereafter  to  ascertain  the  result  of  her  efforts  to 
obtain  the  passport. 

In  accordance  with  Miss    R 's  suggestion,  he  obtained 

lodging  at  a  private  boarding-house  in  a  retired  part  of  the 
city,  and  remained  there  during  the  greater  part  of  the  next 
three  days.  He  would  have  gladly  visited  Miss  R sev- 
eral times  during  this  period,  as  he  was  anxious  to  be  with 
her  as  much  as  possible,  but,  at  her  suggestion,  refrained 
from  so  doing  as  she  feared  that  his  visits  might  attract 
attention  to  him  and  perhaps  excite  suspicion  as  to  the 
cause  of  his  presence  in  the  city,  it  being  well  known  by  the 
government  officials  that  she  was  a  volunteer  nurse  in  the 
hospital  for  sick  and  wounded  Confederate  soldiers. 

"When  he  called  on  Miss  R at   the  appointed   time,  he 

was  rejoiced  to  learn  that  she  had  been  successful  in  her 
undertaking. 

"The  passport,"  said  she,  "was  obtained  more  easily 
than  I  anticipated  when  I  undertook  to  secure  it.     The  day 

after  you  were  here  I  called  on   Mr.  B at  his    residence 

and  gave  him  a  history  of  j'our  case,  told  him  that  I  was 
greatly  concerned  about  securing  your  return  to  the  Con- 
federate army,  and  asked  him  if  it  were  possible  for  him  to 
obtain  for  you  a  passport  that  would  enable  you  to  go 
safely  to  the  seat  of  war,  and  suggested  the  plan  which  you 
and  I  had  discussed  as  to  your  going  in  the  character  of  a 
newspaper  correspondent.  He  stated  that  he  thought  he 
could  obtain  the  passport  for  you,  and  also  approved   the 

plan    suggested.     He   farther   said   that    Major  W ,the 

provost-marshal  of  the  city,  and  he  were  old  friends,  and  he 
believed  that  the  major  would  provide  the  passport  with- 
out making  any  close  investigation  of  the  case.  I  was  re- 
quested to  call  again  the  following  day  to  ascertain  the 
result  of  his  efforts.  T  did  so,  and  was  at  once  informed  by 
him  that  he  had  secured  a  genuine  regulation  passport,  duly 
issued  for  James  Gray,  correspondent  for  The  Baltimore 
Gazette,  and  entitling  him  to  uninterrupted  passage  from 
Washington  City  to  all  points  in  Virginia  within  the  Fed- 
eral lines.  It  is  all  right  and  will  be  respected  by  the  most 
exacting  officials.    I  now  deliver  to  you  this  precious  docu- 


74  JOHN  ASflTON. 

ment  with  the  heartfelt  hope  that  it  may  enable  you  to 
safely  reach  your  command." 

Ashto  I  received  the  paper  from  Miss  R ,  and,  erasping 

her  hand,  said  in  a  voice  tremulous  with  emotion  :  "Words 
cannot  express  my  gratitude  for  your  unfailing  kindness. 
I  am  already  indebted  to  you  for  my  life,  and  you  now  make 
me  your  debtor  for  the  means  of  its  farther  enjoyment  in 
freedom.  My  unceasing  and  grateful  remembrance  of  your 
kindness,  and  my  abiding  friendship  for  you,  will provehow 
deeply  1  feel  and  appreciate  the  interest  you  have  mani- 
fested in  my  welfare  and  the  services  you  have  rendered  me," 

"It  has  given  me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  aid  you,"  said 
she,  "and  the  satisfaction  of  having  been  able  to  assist  you 
is  in  itself  ample  reward  for  all  that  I  have  done.  More- 
over, has  it  not  given  me  that  rare  and  priceless  treasure,  a 
true  friend  ?  Yes,  and  although  the  events  of  the  future 
may  be  such  that  we  will  never  meet  again,  it  will  ever  be 
to  me  a  source  of  purest  pleasure  to  believe  that  your  friend- 
ship for  me  is  unchanged  and  that  your  kindliest  wishes 
follow  me  through  life." 

"Yes,  my  dear  friend,"  said  Ashton,  "my  best  wishes  will 
ever  follow  you,  and  if  they  could  control  your  fate,  your 
entire  life  would  be  filled  with  richest  blessings.  Such  I 
hope  and  believe  will  be  the  case;  for  I  know  that  your 
noble  and  generous  nature  will  constantly  lead  you  to  per- 
form acts  of  kindness,  and  the  satisfaction  which  you  will 
feel  in  thus  helping  others  will  insure  your  happiness,  as  it  is 
indeed 'more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.'  I  have  already 
told  you  of  my  gratitude  for  the  inestimable  benefits  which 
I  have  personally  received  from  you,  and  now,  in  behalf  of 
my  beloved  Southland,  where  at  present  your  good  deeds 
are  unknown,  I  thank  you  with  all  my  heart  for  your  noble 
devotion  to  its  cause  and  your  generous  kindness  and  assist- 
ance to  its  sick  and  wounded  soJdiers.  I  must  now  leave 
you  and,  as  I  shall  start  on  my  journey  to-morrow,  and 
hence  will  not  be  able  to  see  you  again  before  my  departure, 
I  will  bid  you  good-bye." 

Giving  Ashton  a  cordial  grasp   of  her   hand,  Miss    R • 

said:  "Good-bye.  I  shall  never  forget  you.  May  God 
bless  and  protect  you." 


JOHN  ASH  TON.  75 

And  thus  these  friends,  whom  the  chances  of  war  had  so 
strangely    brought    together,     parted    to    meet    no    more 

until but   we  must    not  anticipate  coming  events,  as 

the  reader's  interest  in  our  story  might  thereby  be  lessened. 


76  JOHN  ASHTOJS. 


CHAPTER  YII. 


The  next  morning  Ashton  purchased  a  suitable  outfit  for 
a  newspaper  correspondent  who  intended  going  to  the  front, 
a  pair  of  saddle-bags,  an  overcoat  and  a    pair  of    blankets. 

Immediately  after  reaching  Washington  he  had  returned 
by  express  the  clothes  which  he  borrowed  on  the  night  of 
his  escape  from  Fort  Delaware,  and  now  wore  a  neat  busi- 
ness suit  of  brown  cassimere. 

Returning  to  his  boarding-house,  he  packed  his  saddle- 
bags, paid  his  bill,  hired  a  cab  to  take  him  to  the  station 
and,  after  his  passport  had  been  duly  inspected  by  the 
provost-guard,  was  soon  on  his  way  to  Alexandria.  From 
this  place  he  was  rapidly  borne  toward  Rappahannock  Sta- 
tion on  the  Orange  and  Alexandria  railroad,  and  on  arriving 
at  Manassas  was  vividl^^  reminded  of  his  having  been 
wounded  and  captured  near  that  place,  and  of  the  varied 
experiences  which  had  come  to  him  in  consequence  of  that 
misfortune. 

At  Catlett's  Station  several  Federal  soldiers  came  into  the 
car  where  Ashton  was,  and  were  soon  talking  about  the 
movements  of  the  army.  He  learned  from  their  conversa- 
tion that  it  was  being  rapidly  moved  toward  Fredericks- 
burg, that  the  greater  part  of  tbeinfantry  had  left  Fauquier 
county  and  the  remainder  w^ould  leave  early  in  the  morning 
of  the  next  day,  and  that  only  a  portion  of  the  cavalry 
would  remain  for  the  purpose  of  temporarily  guarding  the 
fords  along  the  Rappahannock.  He  had  at  first  thought 
of  going  to  within  a  few  miles  of  Rappahannock  Station 
before  leaving  the  railroad,  but  in  view  of  what  he  had  just 
heard,  decided  to  leave  it  at  Warrenton  Junction,  and  there- 
fore left  the  train  when  it  reached  that  place.  His  reason 
for  this  was,  that  if  he  went  much  farther  toward  the  Rap- 
pahannock by  rail  he  would,  on  leaving  the  cars,  probably 
encounter  some  of  the  Federal  cavalry  who,  upon  seeing  his 
passport  and  thus  learning  his  ostensible  business  and  c'es 
tination,  would  cause  him  to  turn  back  and  go  down  ttie 
river  in  the  direction  taken  by  the  Federal  army;  whereas, 
bv    stopping   at   Warrenton  Junction    he    would    have   an 


JOHN  ASHTON.  77 

opportnnity  to  go  across  the  country  above  Rappahannock 
Station  and  perhaps  entirely  flank  the  Federal  pickets  at 
Fox's,  Lawson's,  Freeman's  and  other  fords  up  the  river. 

He  spent  the  night  at  Warrenton  Junction,  where  he 
found  a  small  part  of  General  Sickles'  division,  and  learned 
that  one  corps  of  the  army  was  encamped  near  the  place 
and  another  corps  at  Bealeton.  These  two  corps  started 
very  early  the  next  morning  toward  Fredericksburg. 
About  two  hours  thereafter,  Ashton  succeeded  in  purchas- 
ing a  horse,  and  rode  off  as  if  he  were  going  to  Fredericks- 
burg by  way  of  Morrisville.  He  did  not  go  far  in  that  di- 
rection before  he  turned  back,  left  the  road  and  proceeded 
in  a  northwesterly  course  toward  Sulphur  Spring.  Hav- 
ing some  knowledge  of  the  country',  and  being  aided  by  the 

examination  which  he  had   made  of  Mr.  R 's   map,   he 

made  good  progress,  although  he  avoided  the  open  roads  as 
much  as  possible.  He  soon  crossed  the  Orange  and  Alexan- 
dria railroad  a  mile  or  two  below  Warrenton  Junction,  and, 
passing  above  Fayetteville,  crossed  the  road  leading  from 
that  place  to  Warrenton.  Thinking  that  there  might  still 
be  some  Federal  troops  at  Warrenton,  and  therefore  fear- 
ing to  go  any  nearer  to  that  place,  he  changed  his  course  so 
as  to  bear  down  toward  the  Rappahannock  river,  and  about 
noon  was  near  the  intersection  of  the  roads  from  Sulphur 
Spring,  Jeffersonton  and  Fayetteville  at  Fox's  Ford.  Find- 
ing that  he  had  gone  near  the  river,  and  that  too  at  a  place 
where  there  was  probably  a  Federal  picket,  he  turned  a  lit- 
tle to  the  right  for  the  purpose  of  passing  above  this  place, 
but  had  not  proceeded  far  before  he  came  in  sight  of  a 
bivouac  of  cavalry.  Discovering  that  they  were  Federal 
troops  he  would  have  turned  back,  but,  being  satisfied  that 
they  had  seen  him,  feared  that  by  so  doing  he  would  excite 
their  suspicion,  and  hence  he  boldly  rode  forward  into  their 
midst.  He  found  that  he  had  come  upon  a  small  picket 
force  that  was  guarding  Fox's  Ford,  and  had  selected  the 
point  where  he  discovered  them  as  picket  headquarters,  in 
order  that  they  might  the   better  watch   the  roads    above 

and  below   them.     The  troops  were  a  part   of  the New 

York  cavalry  which  had  been    sent  out  from  Bealeton   by 


78  JOIIX  AS II TON. 

General  Bayard  to  picket  Beverly's,  Fox's,    Lawson's  and 
Freeman's  Fords. 

The  squad  consisted  of  about  twenty  men  under  the  com- 
mand of  Lieutenant  C ,    and  when  Ashton  reached  them 

he  was  halted  and  at  once  carried  before  that  officer.  Upon 
being  questioned  by  the  officer  as  to  his  name  and  occupation, 
Ashton  told  him  that  his  name  was  James  Gray  and  that 
he  was  a  correspondent  for  The  Baltimore  Gazette.  The 
officer  laughingly  informed  him  that  he  would  not  be  likely 
to  obtain  any  war  news  in  that  quarter,  as  he  was  on  the 
outpost  of  the  Federal  army,  which  was  then  moving 
toward  Fredericksburg,  and  that  if  he  wished  to  be  of  any 
service  to  his  paper  as  a  war  correspondent,  he  would  have 
to  turn  back  and  ride  down  the  river  to  that  place.  Hav- 
ing inspected  his  passport  and  found  that  it  was  all  right, 
the  officer  was  about  to  dismiss  Ashton,  when  one  of  the 
troopers  who  had  been  closely  scrutinizing  his  face,  said ; 

"Heigh-ho!  Is  that  you,  Ashton?  I  did  not  expect  to  see 
you  here,  and  especially  in  citizen's  clothes,  as  I  heard  that 
you  had  joined  the  Confederate  army." 

Ashton  turned  toward  the  speaker,  and  his  heart  gave  a 
great  throb  and  began  to  beat  rapidly  as  he  recognized  in 
the  Federal  trooper,  Henry  Knhn,  a  former  acquaintance 
whom  he  had  met  at  the  University  of  Virginia,  and  who 
then  lived  in  New  York.  Knowing  that  it  would  be  impossi- 
ble for  him  to  overcome  the  testimony  which  Kuhn  would 
give  as  to  his  identity,  and  beingconsciousof  having  already 
manifested  such  emotion  as,  if  noticed,  would  prove  suspi- 
cious, Ashton  promptly  decided  that  he  would  attempt  no 
further  deception,  but  fully  explain  why  he  was  there  in 
citizen's  dress,  and  conceal  only  such  matters  as  might  impli 
cate  others.     Replying  to  Kuhn,  he  said  : 

"Yes,  Kuhn.  this  is  John  Ashton,  andyou  werecorrecth^  in- 
formed as  to  my  having  joined  the  Confederat.  army. 
Although  we  were  on  friendly  terms  at  the  university,  I  am 
forced  to  the  impoliteness  of  saying  that  I  am  not  at  all 
glad  to  see  3'ou." 

Kuhn  laughed  and  said:  "Well,  I  do  not  blame  you  for 
your  aversion  to  seeing  me  under  existing  circumstances, 
nor  for  the   frankness    with  which   you  have  expressed  it. 


JOHN  A  SB  TON.  79 

Frankness  was  always  one  of  j^our  leading  characteristics, 
and  I  cannot  reconcile  that  fact  with  your  present  assumed 
name  and  occupation.  I  hope,  however,  that  3'ou  can  satis- 
factorily explain  your  presence  here,  and  my  knowledge  of 
3^our  former  character  may  assist  you  in  the  matter.  If  so, 
I  will  gladly  aid  you." 

"I  thank  you  for  your  kind  offer, "said  Ashton,  "and  with 
the  testimony  which  you  can  furnish  as  to  my  former  char- 
acter I  will  be  able  to  give  a  satisfactory  explanation  of  my 
presence  inside  the  Federal  lines,  and  show  that  I  am  not 
heie  voluntarily,  or  for  any  improper  purpose.  And  now, 
lieutenant,  if  yoii  are  willing  to  hear  me,  I  am  ready  to  give 
an  account  of  myself." 

"Yes,"  said  the  officer,  "although  I  have  no  authority  to 
finally  pass  on  your  case,  I  will  listen  to  what  you  have 
to  say." 

Ashton  then  proceeded  to  give  a  full  and  truthful  account 
of  his  movements  after  he  was  wounded  and  captured,  tell- 
ing of  his  sickness  in  the  hospital  at  Washington,  his  tem- 
porary stay  at  the  Old  Capitol  prison,  his  transfer  to  Fort 
Delaware  and  subsequent  escape  therefrom,  and  his  immedi- 
ate return  to  Washington. 

"In  this  escape,"  he  said,  "I  was  unaided,  and  none  of  the 
officers  of  your  government  are  in  any  manner  to  blame  for 
the  same.  Of  course,  I  had  assistance  in  obtaining  my  pass- 
port, but  the  rack  could  not  make  me  reveal  who  rendered 
it.  I  assumed  a  fictitious  name  and  character  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  trying  to  escape  from  captivity,  have  made  no 
effort  to  obtain  any  information  for  my  government,  and 
the  party  who  rendered  me  assistance  knew  the  circum- 
stances of  my  case  and  merely  wished  to  aid  me  in  avoiding 
a  recapture  in  my  effort  to  return  to  the  Confederate 
army." 

"I  am  satisfied,  lieutenant,"  said  Kuhn,  "that  Ashton 
has  told  the  truth,  for  my  knowledge  of  his  exemplary  char- 
acter and  high  sense  of  honor  when  at  college,  convinces 
me  beyond  doubt  that  he  would  not,  under  any  circum- 
stances, stoop  to  the  position  of  a  spy." 

"I, too,"  said  Lieutenant  C ,  "am  convinced  as  to  the 

truthfulness  of  his  story,  and  trust  that  he  maybe  able  like- 


80  JOHN  ASUTON. 

wise  to  convince  those  who  will  have  to  deal  with  his  case. 
But  under  the  circumstances,  I  can  do  nothing  more  than  send 
him  to  General  Bayard  at  Bealeton,  and  report  the  facts  at- 
tending his  capture.  Tell  a  corporal  to  detail  two  men, 
including  yourself,  and  report  here  at  once  for  the  purpose 
of  conveying  the  prisoner  to  General  Bayard." 

In  a  few  moments  a  corporal,  accompanied  by  Kuhn  and 
another  trooper,  appeared   on  horseback   ready  to   do  the 

lieutenant's  bidding.     Lieutenant  C had  written  a  short 

note  in  regard  to  Ashton's  capture,  and,  handing  it  and  the 
passport  to  the  corporal,  directed  him  to  conduct  Ashton 
to  General  Bayard  and  deliver  the  papers  with  the  state- 
ment that  Private  Kuhn  would  give  him  the  details  of 
the  case. 

Ashton  was  then  directed  to  mount  his  horse  and  was  in 
the  act  of  doing  so,  when  the  clatter  of  horses'  feet  was 
heard  on  the  road  from  Sulphur  Spring,  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments a  column  of  Confederate  cavalry  came  dashing 
toward  the  encampment  at  full  speed.  The  Federal  troop, 
ers  rushed  for  their  horses,  but  before  they  could  get  in  the 
saddle  the  Confederates  were  in  their  midst,  and  seeing  that 
resistance  would  be  useless,  they  surrendered  without  firing 
a  shot. 

The  corporal,  having  been  charged  with  the  delivery  of  an 
important  paper  to  General  Bayard,  felt  bound  to  make  a 
desperate  effort  to  escape  for  this  purpose,  and  at  once 
dashed  off  on  the  road  leading  to  Fayetteville.  His  move- 
ments were  immediately  discovered  by  the  Confederates, 
and  instantly  from  the  head  of  their  column  thei-e  darted 
out,  as  if  propelled  by  a  catapult,  a  fleet  gray  mare  bearing 
the  slender,  wiry  form  of  a  man  of  medium  height  whose 
body  seemed  instinct  with  life  and  energy,  and  whose  seat  in 
the  saddle  proclaimed  the  practiced  rider.  Dashing  across  to 
the  Fayetteville  road  he  was  soon  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  flee- 
ing corporal.  The  latter  had  about  fifty  yards  the  start  of 
him,  and,  being  excellently  mounted,  thought  he  could  dis- 
tance the  Confederate  in  the  race  and  make  his  escape.  But 
he  was  not  aware  of  the  difliculties  with  which  he  would 
have  to  contend,  for  he  did  not  know  of  the  phenomenal 
speed  of  his  pursuer's  horse,  nor  the  fiery  zeal,  tireless  energy. 


JOHN  ASUTON.  81 

and  daring  courage  of  her  rider.  Both  horses  soon  reached 
their  full  speed,  and  the  corporal,  on  glancing  back,  saw 
that  his  pursuer  was  rapidly  gaining  on  him.  Seeing  that 
his  pursuer  was  alone,  he  determined  that  he  would  not  sur- 
render without  first  attempting  to  kill  the  Confederate. 
When  the  latter  was  within  fifteen  or  twenty  paces  of  the 
corporal  he  called  to  him  to  halt  and  surrender.  Instead  of 
doing  so  the  corporal  turned  in  his  saddle  and  quickly  fired 
at  his  pursuer,  but  his  aim  had  been  faulty  in  conseque.ice 
of  the  movement  of  his  body  in  turning  to  fire,  and  the  ball 
passed  more  than  a  foot  to  the  left  of  his  enemy.  The  next 
moment  he  saw  the  flash  of  his  pursuer's  pistol,  and  in- 
stantly felt  a  sharp  pain  in  his  right  arm,  which  dropped 
powerless  to  his  side,  and  his  pistol  fell  from  his  hand,  the 
Confederate  having  shot  through  the  muscle  of  his  arm 
just  above  the  elbow.  Being  now  defenseless,  the  corporal 
checked  his  horse  and  surrendered  to  the  Confederate,  and 
the  two  rode  back  to  the  Federal  picket-post.  On  their 
arrival  there  one  of  the  Confederates,  addressing  the  cor- 
poral's captor,  said: 

"Well,  captain,  I  see  that  you  caught  him.  We  were  con- 
fident that  you  would  do  so  and  knew  that  you  would  not 
need  any  assistance  in  the  matter,  and  hence  none  of  us  fol- 
lowed you,  especially  as  we  saw  plenty  of  other  game  to  be 
bagged  out  here." 

The  person  addressed,  replied  : 

"You  did  exactly  right,  Randolph,  as  it  was  not  necessary 
that  more  than  one  of  us  should  follow  a  single  man. 
According  to  strict  military  rules  it  was  improper  that  I 
should  have  left  the  command  to  follow  a  single  fugitive, 
and  I  would  have  directed  some  one  else  to  do  this,  but  for 
the  fact  that  I  saw  at  a  glance  that  he  was  riding  a  fleet 
horse,  and  feared  to  risk  in  his  pursuit  any  horse  less  fleet 
than  my  own.  Moreover,  I  suspected  that  there  might  be 
some  special  reason,  other  than  the  mere  fear  of  captivity, 
why  he  was  making  such  a  desperate  effort  to  escape,  and  I 
was  therefore  all  the  more  anxious  to  make  certain  his 
capture." 

Ashton  had  been  listening  to  this  conversation,  and  now 
stepped  forward  and  said  : 


82  JOHN  ASIITON. 

"Yoursuspicion  was  well-founded,  Captain  Mosby,for  the 
fugitive  was  the  bearer  of  a  note  from  the  Federal  lieuten- 
ant here  to  General  Bayard,  telling  of  my  capture  at  this 
place  about  an  hour  ago,  and  inclosing  a  passport  that 
had  been  issued  for  me  in  a  fictitious  name." 

Captain  Mosby  (for  the  person  addressed  by  Ashton  was 
that  famous  partisan  officer),  scrutinizing  Ashton's  face, 
said:  "Veil,  this  is  marvelous !  You  here,  John  Ashton? 
How  can  that  be  when  you  were  killed  near  Manassas  last 
August?  There  must  be  some  mistake,  and  I  guess  that  it 
was  in  the  report  that  you  were  killed ;  for  I  cannot  be  mis- 
taken in  that  face." 

"Yes,  Captain,  the  mistake  was  made  in  reporting  me  as 
being  killed  at  that  time,  if  such  report  has  been  made.  I 
was  painfully  wounded  and  captured,  and  have  but  recently 
made  my  escape  from  imprisonment  at  Fort  Delaware,  and 
was  endeavoring  to  get  back  into  our  lines,  when  my  iden- 
tity was  discovered  here  to-day  by  an  old  college-mate  who 
is  a  member  of  this  Federal  troop,  and  I  was  about  to  be 
carried  to  General  Bayard's  heaiquarters  at  Bsaleton  when 
you  and  your  command  so  opportunely  arrived  and  disar- 
ranged the  plans  of  my  captors.  You  have  thereby  placed 
me  under  everlasting  obligation  to  you,  especially  as  you 
saved  my  passport  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  those  who 
would  have  made  such  investigation  concerning  it  as  might 
have  endangered  the  life  or  liberty  of  the  person  who 
secured  it  for  me.  I  will  thank  you  to  have  the  passport  at 
once  taken  from  the  man  whom  you  captured  and  return 
it  to  me." 

Captain  Mosby  had  one  of  his  men  to  obtain  the  passport 
and,  after  having  glanced  at  it,  returned  it  to  Ashton  and 
said : 

"I  am  truly  glad  to  see  you  again,  and  congratulate  you 
on  both  your  escape  from  prison  and  the  recovery  of  your 
passport.  While  you  will  no  longer  need  the  passport,  I 
appreciate  the  danger  which  it  might  have  brought  to  others 
if  it  had  not  been  recovered,  and  hence  its  recovery  has  been 
exceedinglv  fortunate.  I  have  been  so  much  interested  in 
your  case  that  I  have  entirely  neglected  to  look  after  our 
prisoners,  and  this  I    will  now  do." 


JOHN  ASHTON.  83 

Captain  Alosby  then  directed  that  the  prisoners  should 
be  collected  at  a  spot  near  by,  and  that  preparations  be 
made  to  march  in  a  few  minutes.  Turning  to  the  Federal 
lieutenant,  he  said  : 

"Lieutenant,  I  occasionally  parole  prisoners  captured  by 
me;  but  there  are  reasons  why  I  will  have  to  detain  you 
and  your  men  until  you  are  regularly  exchanged.  This  I 
regret,  but  it  cannot  be  avoided.  I  had  hoped  to  capture 
your  post  without  bloodshed,  and  am  sorry  that  I  was 
compelled  to  shoot  your  corporal.  I  avoided  doing  so  as 
long  as  possible,  and  did  not  fire  at  him  until  after  he  had 
answered  my  demand  for  his  surrender  with  a  pistol  shot. 
I  then  fired  at  his  right  arm  for  the  purpose  of  so  disabling 
it  that  I  might  capture  him  without  further  danger  to  my- 
self, or  the  necessity  of  killing  him.  The  ball  passed  through 
his  arm  without  breaking  any  bones  and  the  wound  is  not 
a  dangerous  one." 

Lieutenant  C replied:  "I  thank  you,  captain,  for  the 

consideration  manifested  by  you  for  the  life  of  my  corporal, 
and  also  for  your  courteous  conduct  toward  myself.  I  am 
glad  to  know  that  the  reports  in  circulation  at  the  North 
concerning  your  character  are  false,  and  that  instead  of  be- 
ing a  cruel  and  remorseless  guerilla,  delighting  in  scenes  of 
slaughter,  you  are  an  affable  and  gentlemanly  officer  en- 
gaged in  legitimate  partisan  warfare  and  averse  to  the 
shedding  of  blood." 

After  thanking  the  lieutenant  for  his  manifestation  of 
fairness  and  justice  in  thus  readily  discrediting  the  false 
reports  that  had  been  circulated  concerning  him,  Mosby 
ordered  his  men  to  mount  and  proceeded  to  cross  the   river. 

The  Federal  vedette  who  was  on  guard  at  the  ford  when 
the  other  troopers  were  captured,  was  also  cyptured  im- 
mediately thereafter,  and  the  way  was  thus  opened  for 
Mosby's  passage  across  the  river  without  his  movements 
being  detected. 

The  reader  will  perhaps  wish  to  know  how  Alosbv  hap- 
pened to  be  in  that  section  at  the  time,  and  succeeded  in  so 
easily  surprising  and  capturing  the  Federal  pickets,  and  we 
will  therefore  explain  the  matter. 


84  JOHN  AS  ETON. 

Some  time  before  this  occurrence,  Mosby  had  been  detailed 
by  General  Stuart  as  a  scout  or  partisan  whose  duty  it  was 
to  penetrate  the  Federal  lines,  obtain  information  as  to  the 
location,  numbers  and  movements  of  the  enemy,  and,  when 
occasion  was  offered  for  so  doing,  to  capture  wagon  trains, 
pickets  and  detached  parties  of  Federal  troops;  and  for  the 
accomplishment  of  these  objects  he  was  authorized  to  take 
with  him   small  detachments   of  enlistd  cavalry  and   such 
volunteer  troopers  as  hecould  obtain.  He  had  no  commission 
from    the  Confederate  Government    at  this   time,  but  was 
de/ac^o  "Captain   of  Partisan   Rangers"  and  this  title  was 
uniformly  applied  to  him.     Having  learned  that  the  Federal 
array  was  evacuating  Fauquier  county    and  moving  down 
to  Fredericksburg,  and  knowing  that  the   fords   along  the 
Rappahannock  above  Rappahannock  Station  would  stillbe 
guarded  for  a  day  or  two  by  the   Federal  cavalry,    Mosby 
determined  to  make  an  incursion  into   Fauquier  county  for 
the  purpose   of  trying  to  capture  some   of  their   pickets. 
Hence,  he  had  gathered  together   about  thirty  men,  and  a 
few  hours  before  the  occurrence  we  have  related,  crossed  the 
river  between  Fox's   Ford  and   Sulphur  Spring  at   a    place 
where  it  was  unguarded,  as  it  was  not  supposed  to  be  ford- 
able    at    that    point.     Being  thoroughly    acquainted    with 
everyby-road  and  bridle-path  in  that  section  of  the  country, 
he  easily  and  secretly  made  his  way  down  the  river  toward 
Fox's  Ford,  at  which   place  he  knew  there  was  a    Federal 
picket-post.     When  within  a  short  distance  of  the  ford  he 
entered  the  road  leading  to   it  from   Sulphur  Spring,    rode 
rapidly  forward  and  charged  the  picket-post  with  the  I'csults 
already  narrated. 

After  crossing  the  river,  Mosby  halted  his  men  and  calling 
Ashton  to  him,  said  : 

"I  suppose  that  you  will  wish  to  join  your  regiment  as 
soon  as  possible,  and  hence  we  will  have  to  separate  here  as 
my  route  lies  up  the  river,  and  your  regiment  is  now  near 
Fredericksburg.  By  the  way,  your  regiment  has  a  new  com- 
mander in  the  person  of  Colonel  R.  L.  T.  Beale.  Colonel  W. 
H.  F.  Lee  was  recently  made  a  brigadier -general  and  on  the 
10th  of  this  month  assigned  to  the  command  of  a  brigade 
to  which  your  regiment  has  been  transferred   from   General 


JO  UN  ASHTON.  85 

Fitzhiigh  Lee's  brigade.  1  will  have  some  of  my  men  de- 
tailed to  take  these  prisoners  to  Culpeper  to  be  forwarded 
to  Richmond,  and  you  had  best  go  with  them  that  far  on 
your  journey.  As  I  see  that  you  are  riding  an  inferior 
horse,  I  will  allow  you  to  exchange  him  for  the  Federal 
corporal's  horse  captured  by  me,  which  is  quite  fleet  and 
appears  to  be  an  excellent  animal,  and  moreover,  will  serve  to 
remind  you  of  your  happy  extrication  from  a  distressing 
and  dangerous  predicament." 

"I  thank  you  very  warmly,  Captain,"  said  Ashton,  "for 
your  kind  and  generous  offer,  and  accept  it  with  the  greatest 
pleasure.  Your  valuable  souvenir  will  serve  to  remind  me 
not  only  of  my  deliverance  from  danger,  but  also  of  the 
brave  and  daring  officer  to  whose  extraordinary  skill,  pluck 
and  enterprise  as  a  partisan  commander,  I  am  indebted  for 
my  deliverance.  As  soon  as  possible  I  shall  give  General 
Stuart  a  full  account  of  your  exploit  in  order  that  he  may 
know  that  of  which  he  isalready  satisfied,  viz. ;  that  you  are 
actively  engaged  in  the  work  to  which  he  has  assigned  you, 
and  successfully  executing  thecommissionintrusted  toyou." 

Mosby  then  had  eight  men  detailed  with  instructions  to 
conduct  the  prisoners  to  Culpeper  for  transportation  to 
Richmond  and  then  to  join  him  near  Wood  ville  the  next  day, 
from  which  point  he  contemplated  starting  on  another  ex- 
pedition into  the  enemy's  country.  He  then  bade  Ashton 
good-bye  and  started  up  the  river  with  the  remainder  of  his 
command. 

Ashton  and  the  detail  in  charge  of  the  prisoners  took  the 
road  to  Culpeper  by  way  of  Brandy  Station,  and  reached 
their  destination  that  evening.  There  the  prisoners  were 
turned  over  to  the  proper  authorities  for  transportation  to 
Richmond,  and  after  bidding  his  companions  good-bye,  Ash- 
ton sought  and  obtained  accommodations  for  himself  and 
his  horse  for  the  night.  Eai'ly  the  next  morning  he  started 
for  Fredericksburg  and  reached  that  place  about  night. 
He  learned  that  his  regiment  was  six  miles  below  the  town, 
near  Hamilton's  crossing,  and  on  the  following  morning  he 
found  it,  rode  into  camp  and  reported  for  duty. 

Great  was  the  astonishment  and  gratification  of  the 
members  of  his  company  when  he  made  his  appearance,  for, 


86  JOHN  AS  1 1  TON. 

as  before  stated,  they  fully  believed  that  he  was  dead.  They 
gathered  around  him  by  tne  score,  eager  to  learn  his  experi- 
ence since  they  had  last  seen  him,  and  he  gave  them  a  full 
account  of  his  adventures. 

Having  made  inquiry  as  to  whether  any  letters  had  come 
for  him  during  his  absence,  he  was  informed  tliat  one  ar- 
rived just  after  the  battle  of  Manassas  and,  as  he  was  sup- 
posed to  have  been  killed,  was  forwarded  to  the  Dead 
Letter  Office  at  Richmond  to  be  returned  to  its  writer.  His 
informant  stated  that  the  postmark  on  the  letter  was  that 
of  some  town  in  Georgia, the  name  of  which  he  had  forgot- 
ten. As  Ashton's  only  correspondent  in  Georgia  had  been 
Ruth  Middleton,  he  was  satisfied  that  the  letter  had  come 
from  her  and  was  an  answer  to  the  one  in  which  he  had  told 
her  of  his  love.  During  his  varied  experiences  and  the 
strange  and  trying  scenes  through  which  he  had  passed 
since  writing  that  letter,  he  had  almost  constantly  thought 
of  Ruth  and  intenselj-  longed  to  know  what  her  answer 
would  be,  and  the  anxiety  for  this  knowledge  and  the  hope 
of  obtaining  it  as  soon  as  he  reached  his  regiment  had 
served  to  buoy  him  up  in  the  midst  of  the  depressing  sur- 
roundings of  his  captivity,  and  also  to  encourage  him  in  his 
efforts  to  escape;  and  now,  when  he  learned  that  the  letter 
from  which  he  expected  to  obtain  this  knowledge  had  been 
returned  to  its  writer,  and  reflected  that  it  might  be  weeks, 
or  perhaps  months,  before  he  would  know  his  fate,  his  heart 
was  chilled  by  the  disappointment  which  he  had  experi- 
enced, and  for  the  moment  his  spirit  was  almost  crushed 
beneath  the  weight  of  despondency  that  was  resting  upon 
it.  His  despondency  continued  for  hours,  and  so  absorb- 
ingly did  he  brood  over  his  disappointment  and  distress  in 
not  having  received  an  answer  to  his  letter,  that  he  felt  that 
he  was  grieving  over  an  unfavorable  answer  to  the  same, 
forgetting  that  this  answer  had  merely  failed  to  reach  him, 
and  might  have  been  as  favorable  as  he  could  h  ive  desired. 
At  last  awaking  to  a  sense  of  this  fact,  he  realized  the  use- 
lessness  and  folly  of  longer  grievmg  over  the  mere  failure 
to  obtain  the  knowledge  that  he  wished,  at  a  particular 
time,  and  felt  that  the  proper  and  sensible  thing  to  do  would 
be  to  immediately  write  again  to  Ruth  and  thus  shorten  the 


JOHN  ASHTON.  87 

period  of  his  uncertainty  as  to  her  feeHngs  toward  him. 
Acting  on  this  idea,  he  wrote  her  a  long  letter  in  which  he 
again  told  her  of  his  deep  and  absorbing  love  for  her,  ex- 
plained why  he  had  not  received  her  answer  to  his  last  let- 
ter, gave  her  an  account  of  his  captivity  and  subsequent 
escape  therefrom,  and  urged  her  to  write  at  once  and  relieve 
him  from  the  harrowing  effect  produced  on  his  mind  by  the 
uncertainty  as  to  her  feelings  toward  him  and  his  intense 
longing  to  hear  from  her.  The  writing  of  the  letter  was  a 
great  reHef  to  him,  and  when  it  was  finished  he  felt  as  if  a 
weight  had  been  lifted  from  his  heart;  and  with  this  revul- 
sion of  feeling  there  came  what  v^as  almost  a  spirit  of  joy- 
ousness  born  of  the  thought  that  he  would  soon  hear  from 
Ruth,  and  the  hope  that  her  message  would  be  one  of  love, 
that  would  bring  peace  and  gladness  to  his  soul. 

When  he  handed  his  letter  to  the  regimental  mail-carrier  to 
be  posted,  he  breathed  a  fervent  prayer  that  it  might  be 
swiftly  and  safely  borne  to  its  destination.  Had  his  prayer 
been  answered,  he  would  have  been  spared  much  disappoint- 
ment and  pain,  and  perhaps  some  of  the  incidents  herein- 
after related  would  never  have  occurred.  But,  alas,  for  the 
peace  and  happiness  of  two  loving  hearts,  the  message  of 
tenderness  and  devotion  from  one  which  would  have  blessed 
and  brightened  the  other  was  sent  in  vain.  In  order  that 
the  reader  may  understand  why  this  was  so,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  return  to  Ruth  Middleton  and  give  an  account  of 
her  experience  after  receiving  the  crushing  news  of  Ashton's 
death. 


88  JO  UN  ASH  TON. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

We  left  Ruth  clasped  in  the  loving  embrace  of  her  consin, 
who,  b3'  this  tender  manifestation  of  sympathy,  was  seek- 
ing to  lighten  the  weight  of  woe  that  was  crushing  her 
heart.  But  there  are  sorrows  that  human  sympathy  can- 
not relieve,  and  wounds  which  only  the  hand  of  time  can 
heal;  and  such  was  the  sorrow  tii at  Ruth  had  experienced 
and  the  wound  which  she  had  received  from  the  reported 
death  of  her  lover.  She  had  never  loved  before  and,  con- 
stituted as  she  was,  would  never  love  again;  for  with  her 
love  was  not  an  ephemeral  state  of  emotion  resulting  from 
extraneous  influences  and  dependent  on  their  continuance 
for  its  existence,  but  was  a  permanent  growth  of  feeling 
springing  up  within  her  heart  in  response  to  the  wants  of 
her  nature,  and  it  had  taken  such  complete  possession  of  her 
soul  as  to  become  a  part  of  her  being  and  as  lasting  as  life 
itself.  Her  love  for  Ashton  being  thus  a  part  of  herself,  her 
entire  nature  felt  the  shock  of  the  blow  inflicted  by  the  news 
of  his  death,  and  both  mind  and  body  were  seriously  af- 
fected by  the  same.  Hence,  although  she  gave  no  expression 
to  her  grief,  her  usual  buoyancy  of  spirits  was  gone,  and  a 
permanent  feeling  of  sadness  took  possession  of  her  mind 
and  heart,  and  manifested  itself  in  her  appearance  and  ac- 
tions. Owing  to  the  influence  which  the  mind  at  times 
exerts  upon  the  body,  her  physical  constitution  was  aft'ected 
and  her  health  impaired  by  her  mental  sufl'ering  and  the  all- 
absorbing  grief  that  had  taken  possession  of  her.  Hence, 
in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks,  she  appeared  to  be  gradually 
wasting  away,  and  her  physician  recommended  a  change  of 
climate  as  the  most  promising  remedy  for  her  condition. 

It  was  now  the  first  of  November  and,  as  winter  was  near 
at  hand,  the  physician  decided  that  she  had  best  go  to 
Florida,  whose  mild  and  comparatively  uniform  climate  and 
salubrious  sea  breezes  it  was  thought  would  greatly  aid  in 
restoring  her  health.  Therefore,  about  the  middle  of  the 
month  and  just  before  Ashton's  return  to  his  regiment, she 

and  Bertha  Gray  left  B with   the  intention  of  going  to 

Jacksonville,  but,  while  on  their  journey,  they  learned  that 


JOHN  ASUTON.  89 

the  place  was  garrisoned  bj  Federal  troops,  and,  therefore, 
changed   their   course  and   proceeded    to  Ocala  in    Central 

Florida.     Ruth  had  instructed    the  postmaster   at  B to 

forward  her  mail  to  Jacksonville,  and  hence,  when  Ashton's 

letter  arrived  at  B ,  it  was  forwarded  in  accordance  with 

this  instruction.  Owing  to  the  occupation  of  Jacksonville 
by  the  Federals,  the  letter  was  not  carried  to  that  place 
but  was  brought  back  and  eventually  reached  the  Dead 
Letter  Office  at  Richmond,  from  which  place  it  was  finally 
returned  to  Ashton  about  two  months  after  it  was  written. 
As  he  saw  that  it  had  been  forwarded  from  B to  Jack- 
sonville and  then  sent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office,  he  was  satis- 
fied that  Ruth  was  at  neither  of  those  places,  and  having  no 
idea  as  to  where  she  was,  he  deemed  it  unnecessary  to  make 
another  eft'ort  at  that  time  to  communicate  with  her. 

After  her  arrival  at  Ocala,  Ruth  wrote  to  the  postmaster 

at  B ,  changing  the  instruction  she  had  given  in  regard  to 

her  mail,  and  requested  that  it  be  forwarded  to  Ocala. 
Unfortunately  he  did  not  receive  this  request  until  after  he 
had  forwarded  Ashton's  letter  to  Jacksonville,  n  1  there- 
fore it  did  not  reach  her,  for  the  reason  already  given. 

On  their  arrival  in  Ocala,  Ruth  and  Bertha  stopped  at  a 
hotel,  but  in  a  da}'  or  two  secured  board  with  Mrs.  Mary 
Austin,  whose  husband,  Captain  Wil  iam  Austin,  was  in  the 
Confederate  army.  Mrs.  Austin  was  a  refined  and  cultured 
woman,  unassuming  in  her  manners,  and  exceedingly  kind- 
hearted  and  sympatlietic.  The  sad  expression  on  Ruth's  face 
at  once  attracted  her  attention  and  deeply  touched  her 
heart.  Being  satisfied  that  Ruth  had  experienced  some  great 
grief  which  had  imbued  her  life  with  sorrow,  she  deter- 
mined to  do  all  in  her  power  to  arouse  her  from  the  state  of 
melancholy  into  which  she  appeared  to  have  lapsed,  and  en- 
deavor to  restore  her  to  a  condition  of  cheerfulness.  Believ- 
ing that  she  could  best  accomplish  her  object  by  seemingly 
ignoring  Ruth's  sadness,  she  never  alluded  to  it,  and  was 
constantly  arranging  plans  for  her  enjoyment  of  such  quiet 
recreations  as  would  please  and  amuse  her  without  jarring 
her  melancholy  feelings.  In  conversing  with  Ruth,  she 
talked  of  such  things  as  were  calculated  to  interest  her,  ex- 
cite her  mind  to  action  and  draw    her  thoughts  away  from 


90  JOHN  ASUTON. 

herself.  Taking  her  cue  from  Mrs.  Austin's  conduct,  Bertha 
also  endeavored  to  prevent  her  cousin  from  dwelling  on  the 
past,  by  keeping  her  mind  directed  into  pleasing  channels  of 
thought,  and  inducing  her  as  often  as  ])ossible  to  partici- 
pate in  the  quiet  pleasureswhich  their  surroundings  afforded. 
The  scenery  of  the  surrounding  country  was  both  novel 
and  attractive,  and  Bertha  quite  often  induced  Ruth  to  join 
her  in  its  enjoyment  through  the  medium  of  a  walk  or  drive 
in  the  midst  of  its  beauties. 

It  was  not  very  long  before  Ruth's  surroundings  began  to 
produce  a  salutary  effect  upon  her,  and  the  delightful  and 
salubrious  climate,  beautiful  scenery  and  pleasant  compan- 
ionship which  she  enjoyed,  rapidly  improved  her  health  and 
tended  to  dissipate  her  melancholy  feelings.  By  the  end  of 
winter  her  health  was  restored,  and  she  had,  in  a  measure, 
recovered  her  wonted  cheerfulness,  but  her  face  still  wore 
a  sad  expression  and  at  times  she  experienced  fits  of 
melancholy. 

At  the  opening  of  spring  she  and  Bertha  returned  to  their 
home,  and  naturally  this  return  to  the  scenes  where  she  had 
first  met  Ashton,  and  amidst  which  their  mutual  love  had 
sprung  into  existence,  revived  the  sad  memories  of  the  past, 
and  opened  afresh  the  wound  in  her  heart.  At  tirst  she 
made  no  effort  to  put  away  the  sad  thoughts  that  filled  her 
mind,  but  took  a  melancholy  pleasure  in  dwelling  on  the 
past  and  living  over  in  imagination  the  hours  spent  with 
Ashton,  and  which  had  led  to  her  brief  enjoyment  of  perfect 
happiness  in  the  reception  of  his  love  and  the  gift  of  her 
own,  and  that  other  hour  in  which  her  happiness  had  been 
blasted  and  her  heart  broken  by  thenews  of  his  death.  But 
she  soon  realized,  from  the  injurious  consequences  of  these 
melancholy  moods,  that  she  would  wrong  herself  and  un- 
necessarily distress  others  by  longer  indulging  in  them,  and 
therefore  determined  to  find  some  means  for  so  employing 
her  time  and  engaging  her  mind  as  to  divert  her  thoughts 
from  herself  and  also  enable  her  to  be  of  service  to  others. 

Being  thoroughly  imbued  with  a  spirit  of  patriotism,  and 
fully  alive  to  a  sense  of  the  sufferings  of  those  who  had  left 
their  homes  in  defense  of  the  South,  she  naturally  thought 
that  some  means  for  aiding  them    would  be    the  most   ap- 


JOHN  ASHTON.  91 

propriate  and  serviceable  plan  that  she  could  adopt.  After 
mature  deliberation,  she  decided  on  the  adoption  of  a  plan 
for  the  accomplishment  of  this  purpose,  and  soon  thereaf- 
ter revealed  it  to  her  cousin  in  the  following  conversation  : 

"Bertha,"  said  she,  "I  have  something  to  tell  you  vi^hich 
I  know  will  make  you  sad,  and  is  also  painfully  distressing 
to  me.  I  find  that  I  will  soon  have  to  leave  you  for  an  in- 
definite length  of  time." 

"Leave  m^!"  exclaimed  Bertha.  "What  do  you  mean? 
Surely  you  cannot  be  in  earnest,  and  moreover,  I  will  not 
let  you  leave  me." 

"Yes,"  said  Ruth,  "I  am  certainly  in  earnest,  and  you 
must  not  try  to  dissuade  me  from  the  purpose  which  I  have 
formed,  for  it  is  necessary  that  I  should  go  away,  and  I  will 
now  give  3'ou  the  reasons  for  this  necessity.  Of  course  you 
have  noticed  that  since  returning  home  I  have  lapsed  into 
my  former  state  of  melancholy  and  dejection,  and  you 
doubtless  understand  that  this  was  caused  by  the  fact  that 
my  surroundings  here  have  awakened  and  serve  to  keep  alive 
the  memory  of  that  w^hich  produced  my  sadness,  and  will 
naturally  tend  to  perpetuate  it.  I  have  decided  thatformy 
own  sake  I  must  do  something  to  divert  my  thoughts  from 
myself;  and,  as  I  desire  to  be  of  some  service  to  others,  I  can 
think  of  no  better  plan  for  the  accomplishment  of  these  ob- 
jects than  that  of  rendering  assistance  to  our  soldiers. 
Hence  I  have  determined  to  follow  the  noble  example 
furnished  by  Florence  Nightingale  during  the  Crimean  War, 
and  shall  devote  my  services  to  the  sick  and  wounded  Con- 
federate soldiers  in  the  hospitals  at  Richmond." 

"Oh,  Ruth,  you  could  not  endure  such  service,"  said 
Bertha,  "and  must  not  think  of  the  undertaking.  You 
know  that  you  are  not  as  strong  as  you  once  were,  and  the 
tax  on  your  physical  powers  would  soon  exhaust  them." 

"You  forget,"  replied  Ruth,  "that  my  loss  of  strength 
was  to  a  great  extent  caused  by  my  constant  contemplation 
of  my  condition  and  a  persistent  brooding  over  mv  sorrow^ 
and  the  plan  that  I  have  formed  will  enable  me  to  avoid  a 
repetition  of  such  conduct,  and  to  that  extent  tend  to  pre- 
serve my  strength.  Besides,  I  am  influenced  in  the  matter 
by  a   sense  of  duty  and  my  devotion  to  the   holy  cause   for 


92  JOHN  ASHTON. 

whicii  our  armies  are  contending,  and  the  more  I  tliink  of  it 
the  more  Hke  an  inspiration  it  seems  that  I  have  been  led  to 
form  this  plan  for  the  relief  of  our  suffering  soldiers." 

"I  find  as  usual,"  said  Bertha,  "that  I  cannot  meet  your 
arguments.  I  wonder  if  this  is  because  you  are  so  much 
wiser  than  I,  oris  it  because  I  always  act  from  impulse, 
while  you  act  from  reason  and  duty?  Well,  if  you  will  go, 
I  shall  go  with  you." 

"No,"  said  Ruth,  "that  would  not  do;  for  you  could  not, 
with  your  lively' and  restless  disposition,  long  endure  the  con- 
finement and  tedium  incident  to  the  occupation  of  even  a 
volu7iieemVirsG:\r\  R  hospital,  and  you  would  soon  become 
dissatisfied  with  your  work  and  it  would  become  corres- 
pondingly ineflScient," 

"I  suppose,"  said  Bertha,  "that  1  must  yield  to  your 
judgment  in  the  matter;  but  it  will  almost  break  my  heart 
to  be  separated  from  you,  especially  as  we  have  been  con- 
stant companions  for  so  many  years.  Of  course,  you  will 
not  object  to  ray  visiting  you  occasionally?" 

"Oh  no,"  said  Ruth,  "and  I  was  just  about  to  suggest 
that  plan  as  a  means  of  mitigating  the  sadness  of  our  sepa- 
ration. It  will  not  only  be  a  source  of  comfort  and  pleasure 
for  us  to  thus  occasionally  be  together,  but  you  will  have 
opportunities  for  seeing  the  attractions  of  the  Confederate 
Capital,  and  these  will  interest  and  amuse  you." 

Having  thus  decided  on  her  future  course  of  conduct, 
Ruth  made  all  necessary  arrangements  for  carrying  it  out, 
and  by  the  first  of  April  she  had  gone  to  Richmond,  offered 
her  services  as  a  volunteer  nurse,  and  had  been  assigned  to 
duty  at  one  of  the  hospitals  in  the  city. 

Leaving  her  to  learn,  and  familiarize  herself  with  the  du- 
ties incident  to  the  occupation  in  which  she  had  engaged, 
we  will  return  to  Ashton  whom  we  left  in  camp  below  Fred- 
ericksburg just  after  he  had,  with  a  fervent  prayer  for  its 
speedy  delivery,  handed  to  the  regimental  mail-carrier  his 
second  love-letter  to  Ruth  and  which,  as  we  have  incident- 
ally explained,  failed  to  reach  its  destination  and  several 
months   afterward  was  returned  to  him. 

Ashton  learned  that  his  regiment  had  reached  its  present 
camp  only  the  day    before,  all  of  General   W.  H.   F.   Lee's 


JOHN  ASIirON.  93 

briwacle,  except  the  Tliirteenth  Virginia  Cavalry,  having 
been  ordered  to  the  vicinity  of  Fredericksburg  on  that  day 
to  co-operate  with  the  troops  already  there  in  resisting  any 
effort  that  might  be  made  by  the  Federals  to  cross  the  Rap- 
pahannock at  that  place.  General  R.  E.  Lee  rapidly  concen- 
trated his  army  at  Fredericksuurg  tomeet  the  threatened  at- 
tack at  that  point,  and  in  a  few  days  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee's 
brigade  was  sent  farther  down  the  river  to  guard  and  op- 
erate along  the  Lower  Rappahannock.  Both  the  Federal 
and  Confederate  commanders  were  busily  engaged  in  mak- 
ing preparations  for  a  battle  which,  in  some  respects,  proved 
to  be  one  of  the  most  notable  of  the  Civil  War.  As  before 
stated,  General  Burnside  had  been  massing  his  army  in  the 
vicinity  of  Fredericksburg  and  it  now  occupied  the  lofty 
range  of  hills,  known  as  Stafford  Heights,  overlooking  the 
Rappahannock  river  at  their  base  and  the  town  of  Freder- 
icksburg on  the  south  side  of  that  stream.  He  had  hoped 
to  conceal  his  movements  sufficiently  long  to  effect  a  pas- 
sage of  the  river  at  this  point,  before  General  Leecould  con- 
centrate an  adequate  force  to  check  his  progress;  but  the 
ever-watchful  and  sagacious  commander  of  the  Confeder- 
ate array  had  discovered  his  design,  and  now  confronted 
him  with  the  greater  part  of  the  army  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river.  The  two  armies  retained  their  respective  posi- 
tions for  about  two  weeks  before  the  battle  to  which  we 
have  referred  began.  As  this  battle  was  a  notable  one,  we 
trust  that  a  description  of  it  will  not  prove  uninteresting 
to  the  reader. 

In  order  to  give  an  intelligible  account  of  the  engagement, 
some  description  of  the  topography  of  the  l)attle-ground 
and  its  surroundings  will  be  necessary.  As  before  indicated, 
the  Rappahannock  river  at  this  point  flows  along  the  base 
of  a  range  of  highlands  on  its  northern  bank,  known  as 
Stafford  Heights.  The  town  of  Fredericksburg,  situated 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  extended  about  a  mile  and  a 
quarter  along  the  bank  of  the  stream  and  about  a  half  mile 
backward  from  the  same.  From  a  point  ontheriver  above 
the  town  another  range  of  highlands,  known  as  Spottsvl- 
vania  Heights,  extends  in  a  southeasterly  direction  for 
several   miles,  and  then   changing  its  course  and   gradually 


94  JOHN  ASHTON. 

dirninishing  in  height,  again  approaches  the  river  below  the 
town  until  it  terminates  at  thevalley  of  Alassaponax  Creek, 
about  four  miles  from  Fredericksburg.  Hence  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  town  was  situated  in  a  basin  or  vallev,  and 
this  valley  was  an  open  plain  varying  in  width  from  one  to 
two  or  three  miles.  Near  the  middle  of  this  plain  was  a 
road,  known  as  the  River  Road,  extending  down  the  river 
at  a  distance  of  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  Spottsyl- 
vania  Heights,  and  at  the  time  of  the  engagement  there 
were  on  each  side  of  it  earthen  embankments  and  hedge- 
rows of  cedars  and  other  trees  which  aiforded  the  Federals 
the  advantage  of  a  double  line  of  intrenchments.  Opposite 
the  point  where  the  Telegraph  Road,  leading  southward, 
issues  from  the  town  is  a  loftj^  eminence  known  as  Marye's 
Hill,  and  at  its  base  this  road  turns  abruptly  eastward  and 
runs  parallel  with  the  south  side  of  the  town  for  several 
hundred  yards.  The  side  of  this  road  next  to  the  town  was 
protected  by  a  massive  stone  fence,  and  between  it  and  the 
town  was  a  narrow,  open  and  level  field.  The  Richmond, 
Fredericksburg  and  Potomac  railroad,  issuing  from  the 
eastern  end  of  the  town,  passed  through  the  plain  below, 
parallel  with  the  road  already  described,  and  out  into  the 
interior  at  a  way-station  called  Hamilton's  Crossing. 

Having  endeavored  to  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  what 
was  to  be  the  battle-ground  of  the  opposing  armies,  we  will 
try  to  describe  the  locations  of  their  respective  f(jrces.  On 
the  11th  and  12th  of  December,  General  Burnside  succeeded 
in  placing  most  of  his  army  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  by 
means  of  pontoon  bridges,  and  luider  cover  of  a  heavy  fog 
that  prevailed  during  the  12th,  a  large  part  of  his  troops, 
consisting  of  General  Franklin's  grand  division  and  one  of 
General  Hooker's  corps,  had  taken  position  along  the  River 
Road  below  the  town.  Daring  this  day,  General  Sumner's 
srand  division  also  crossed  the  river,  while  the  remainder 
of  General  Hooker's  grand  division  was  held  in  readiness 
to  cross,  at  a  moment's  notice,  to  tne  support  of  Sumner  on 
the  right  or  Franklin  on  the  left.  According  to  General 
Burnside's  report,  the  line  that  had  been  established  was  as 
follows: 


JOHN  AS II TON.  95 

"The  second  corps  held  the  center  and  right  of  the  town  ; 
the  ninth  corps  was  on  the  left  of  the  second  c{)r;js,  and 
connected  with  General  Franklin's  right  at  Deep  Run,  the 
whole  of  this  force  being  nearly  parallel  to  the  river;  the 
sixth  corps  was  formed  on  the  left  of  the  ninth  corps, 
nearly  parallel  with  the  old  Richmond  road,  and  the  first 
corps  on  the  left  of  the  sixth,  nearly  at  right  angles  with  it, 
its  left  resting  on  the  river." 

On  the  morning  of  Deceml:)er  13th,  the  Federal  army,  with 
the  exception  of  General  Hooker's  reserves,  was  formed  in 
lines  of  battle  along  the  River  Road  below  the  town,  and 
within  the  streets  of  the  same.  Stafford  Heights  for  miles 
were  crow^ned  with  numerous  batteries  that  commanded 
the  plain  below,  and  the  heights  on  its  southern  side.  Along 
the  latter  heights  the  Confederate  army  was  posted,  and, 
according  to  General  Lee's  report,  from  which  we  quote, 
the  respective  positions  of  its  several  divisions  were  as 
follows : 

"Longstreet's  corps  constituted  the  left,  with  Anderson's 
division  resting  upon  the  river,  and  those  of  McLaws,  Pick- 
ett, and  Hood  extending  to  the  right  in  the  order  named. 
Ransom's  division  supported  the  batteries  on  Marye's  and 
Willis'  hills,  at  the  foot  of  which  Cobb's  brigade,  of  Mc- 
Laws' division,  and  the  24th  North  Carolina,  of  Ransom's 
division,  were  stationed,  protected  by  a  stone  wall.  The 
immediate  care  of  this  point  was  committed  to  General 
Ransom.  The  Washington  Artillery  occupied  the  redoubts 
on  the  crest  of  Marye's  Hill,  and  those  on  the  heights  to  the 
right  and  left  were  held  by  a  part  of  the  reserved  artillery. 
Col.  E.  P.  Alexander's  battalion,  and  the  division  batteries 
of  Anderson,  Ransom, and  McLaws.  A.  P.Hill,  of  Jackson's 
corps,  was  posted  between  Hood's  right  and  Hamilton's 
Crossing,  on  the  railroad.  His  front  line,  consisting  of  the 
brigades  of  Pender,  Lane,  and  Archer,  occupied  the  edge  of  a 
wood.  Lieutenant-colonel  Walker,  with  fourteen  pieces  of 
artillery,  was  posted  near  the  right,  supported  by  the  40th 
and  35th  Virginia  regiments,  of  Field's  brigade,  com  nanded 
by  Colonel  Brockenborough.  Lane's  brigade,  thrown  for- 
ward in  advance  of  the  general  line,  held  the  woods,  which 
here  project  into  the  open  ground.     Thomas'    brigade    was 


96  JOHN  A  SB  TON. 

stationed  behind  the  interval  between  Lane  and  Pender,  and 
Gregg's  in  rear  of  that,  between  Lane  and  Archer.  These 
two  brigades,  with  the  47th  Virginia  regiment,  and  22d 
Virginia  battalion  of  Field's  brigade,  constituted  General 
Hill's  reserve.  Early's  and  Taliaferro's  divisions  composed 
Jackson's  second  line —  D.  H.  Hill's  division  his  reserve. 
His  artillery  was  distributed  along  his  line  in  the  most 
eligible  position  so  as  to  command  the  open  ground  in 
front.  General  Stuart,  with  two  brigades  of  cavalry,  and 
his  horse  artillery,  occupied  the  plain  on  Jackson's  right, 
extending  to  Massaponax  Creek." 

On  the  morning  of  December  13th,  a  dense  fog  enveloped 
the  plain  on  which  the  Federal  army  lay,  and  it  was  impossi- 
ble for  the  Confederate  army  to  discern  its  operations  for 
several  hours.  At  an  early  hour  the  opening  guns  of  the 
battle  were  fired,  when  the  Federal  batteries  on  Stafford 
Heights  began  to  play  on  Longstreet's  position,  and  under 
cover  of  this  fire  the  Federal  army  was  formed  for  attack, 
Franklin's  grand  division  occupying  the  left  and  Sumner's 
the  right  of  their  fine  of  battle.  Shortly  after  9  o'clock  the 
rising  of  the  fog  disclosed  to  the  view  of  the  Confederate 
army  a  spectacle  such  as  they  had  never  before  seen,  and 
one  which  brought  vividly  before  their  eyes  the  imposing 
pomp  and  awful  grandeur  of  war,  for,  looking  down  from 
their  elevated  position  on  Spottsylvania  Heights,  they  saw 
marshaled  on  the  plain  beneath  more  than  one  hundred 
thousand  foemen  with  glistening  muskets  and  numerous 
batteries  of  field  guns,  awaiting  but  the  order  to  advance, 
and  apparently  capable  of  overwhelming  them  by  sheer 
force  of  numbers.  This  myriad  host  did  not  long  await  the 
order  of  attack;  and  soon  Franklin  began  his  advance  to- 
ward Hamilton's  Crossing  against  Jackson,  and  dense 
masses  of  Federal  soldiers  moved  out  in  front  of  A.  P.  Hill, 
extending  far  up  the  river  toward  Fredericksburg.  The 
Federal  batteries  on  Stafford  Heights,  numbering  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  guns,  and  those  with  Franklin  on  the  plain 
below,  numbering  one  hundred  and  sixteen  guns  began  to 
belch  forth  their  deadly  shot  and  shell,  and  were  answered 
by  the  Confederate  batteries  on  SpottvSylvania  Heights,  and 
amidst  their  mimic  thunders    and    the    noise    of  bursting 


JOHN  AS II TON.  97 

shells,  the  Federal  troops  pressed  forward  to  the  attack. 
The  attack  was  made  by  General  Reynolds'  corps,  being  led 
by  General  Aleade's  division,  composed  entirely  of  Pennsyl- 
vania troops,  which  was  supported  on  the  right  by  General 
Gibbon's  division  and  on  the  left  by  General  Doubleday's 
division.  The  Federals  moved  forward  in  gallant  style,  but 
when  they  crossed  the  River  Road  the  dauntless  boy -hero, 
John  Pelham,  of  Stuart's  Horse  Artillery,  dashed  out  into 
the  open  plain  between  them  and  Massaponax  Creek  with 
two  of  his  guns,  and  began  a  destructive  enfilading  fire  on 
their  left  flank  which,  for  awhile,  stopped  their  advance. 
Four  of  General  Reynolds'  batteries  and  some  of  the  heavy 
guns  on  Stafford  Heights  were  at  once  turned  upon  him; 
but  notwithstanding  this  terrific  fire,  the  peerless  Pelham 
held  his  ground  for  at  least  an  hour,  fighting  his  guns  with 
that  marvelous  coolness,  gallantry  and  skill  for  which  he 
was  noted,  and  did  not  retire  from  his  perilous  position 
until  recalled  by  positive  orders  from  General  Stuart. 
When  Pelham  was  withdrawn.  General  Franklin's  left  was 
extended  down  the  River  Road  and  his  numerous  batteries 
began  a  rapid  and  furious  fire  upon  General  Jackson's  line, 
shelling  for  about  a  half  hour  the  wood  in  which  Lane's 
brigade  was  posted,  and  on  the  right  of  which  Lieutenant- 
colonel  Lindsay  Walker's   artillery  was  located. 

As  there  was  no  response  from  the  Confederate  artillery, 
the  Federal  infantry  moved  forward  to  seize  the  position 
held  by  Lieutenant-colonel  Walker.  He  reserved  his  fire 
until  they  were  within  less  than  eight  hundred  yards  of  his 
position,  and  then  shelled  them  with  such  destructive 
effect  that  they  were  checked  in  their  advance,  began  to 
waver  and  soon  retreated  in  confusion.  About  1  o'clock  p. 
M.,  Franklin's  main  attack  was  made  on  General  Lee's 
right  and,  under  cover  of  a  heavy  cannonade,  three  com- 
pact lines  of  battle  were  advanced  against  Hill's  front.  As 
before,  the  Federals  were  received  by  a  furious  fire  from  the 
Confederate  batteries  and  momentarily  checked,  but  they 
soon  pressed  forward  with  .callantry  and  determination,  and 
when  they  came  within  range  of  the  Confederate  infantrv, 
the  battle  became  fierce  and  bloody.  Generals  Lane  and 
Archer  repulsed  the  Federal   lines  immediately  in  front   of 


98  JOHN  A  SB  TON. 

them,  but  unfortunately  there  was  an  interval  between 
their  brigades,  and,  before  it  could  be  closed,  the  Federals 
pressed  through  it  in  overwhelming  numbers  and  turned 
Lane's  right  and  Archer's  left.  Being  attacked  in  front  and 
flank,  two  of  Archer's  regiments  and  Lane's  brigade  gave 
way  after  having  made  a  gallant  and  determined  resist- 
ance to  the  superior  force  opposing  them.  Archer,  however, 
with  the  remainder  of  his  brigade, stubbornly  and  gallantly 
held  his  line  until  the  arrival  of  reinforcements  .  General 
E.  L.  Thomas  with  his  valiant  Georgia  brigade  quickly  and 
gallantlj  came  to  the  relief  of  Lane,  and  being  joined  by 
the  7th  and  18th  North  Carolina  regiments,  of  Lane's  bri- 
gade, repulsed  the  column  that  had  broken  Lane's  line  and 
drove  it  back  to  the  railroad.  In  the  meantime,  a  large 
force  of  Federals  had  advanced  into  the  wood  as  far  as 
Hill's  reserve  and  attacked  Gregg's  brigade.  So  sudden  and 
unexpected  was  this  attack  that  a  part  of  Gregg's  brigade 
was  thrown  into  confusion,  they  having  mistaken  the  Fed- 
erals for  Confederates  whom  they  supposed  were  retiring. 
Their  gallant  general  was  mortally  wounded  while  in  the 
act  of  rallying  them,  but  Colonel  D.  H.  Hamilton,  of  the  1st 
South  Carolina  regiment,  at  once  took  command  of  the 
brigade  and  checked  the  further  progress  of  the  Federals, 
At  this  time  General  Jackson  brought  up  his  second  line, 
consisting  of  the  divisions  of  Early  and  Taliaferro,  and  the 
Federals  were  quickly  routed,  driven  out  of  the  wood  with 
heavy  loss  and,  although  largely  reinforced,  were  forced 
back  and  pursued  to  the  railroad  embankment  where  they 
took  shelter.  From  this  position  they  were  gallantly  dis- 
lodged by  Lawton's  and  Trimble's  brigades  under  Colonels 
E.  N.  Atkinson  and  E.  F.  Hoke,  and  driven  across  the  plain 
to  the  protection  of  their  batteries.  Colonel  Atkinson  pur- 
sued the  Federals  too  far  into  the  plain,  and  his  flank  be- 
came exposed  to  an  enfilading  lire,  while  at  the  same  time 
his  front  was  subjected  to  a  heavy  fire  of  musketry  and 
artillery.  Colonel  Atkinson  being  severely  wounded,  Cap- 
tain E.  P.  Lawton,  assistant  adjutant-general,  being  mor- 
tally wounded,  and  the  ammunition  of  the  brigade  having 
been  exhausted,  the  brigade  was  compelled  to  fall  back  to 
the  main  body,  which  at  this  time  occupied  the  original  line 


JOHN  ASUTOJST.  '  99 

of  battle.  The  attack  that  had  been  made  on  Hill's  left 
was  successfully  repulsed  by  Walker's  artillery,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  it  was  constantly  under  a  furious  fire 
from  twenty -four  guns.  One  brigade  of  Federals  advanced 
some  distance  up  the  channel  of  Deep  Run,  being  protected 
by  its  high  banks  from  the  Confederate  artillery,  but  they 
were  gallantly  charged  and  routed  by  the  16th  North  Caro- 
lina regiment  of  Pender's  brigade  and  the  o4th  and  57th 
North  Carolina  regiments  of  Law's  brigade,  Hood's  divis- 
ion. The  two  last  mentioned  regiments  had  never  before 
been  under  fire,  but  their  bravery  was  marvelous,  and  they 
greatly  distinguished  themselves  by  the  impetuosity  and 
persistency  of  their  gallant  and  prolonged  charge;  for,  after 
routing  the  Federals,  they  pursued  them  across  the  railroad 
and  far  out  into  the  plain,  although  their  ranks  were  being 
raked  by  a  heavy  Hank  fire  from  the  channel  of  Deep  Run, 
and  did  not  return  until  frequent  messages  recalling  them 
had  been  sent  by  Hood.  It  is  said  that  as  they  returned, 
some  of  them  were  seen  weeping  with  vexation  because thej' 
had  been,  as  it  were,  dragged  back  from  their  pursuit  of  the 
enemy  and,  in  speaking  of  General  Hood's  conduct  in  recall- 
ing them,  they  exclaimed:  "It  is  because  he  has  not  confi- 
dence in  Carolinians.  If  we  had  been  some  of  his  Texans, 
he  would  have  let  us  go  on." 

The  repulse  of  the  Federals  on  the  Confederate  right  had 
been  complete  and  decisive,  and  the  attack  was  not  re- 
newed, but  their  batteries  kept  up  an  active  fire  at  intervals 
during  the  remainder  of   the  afternoon. 

While  the  events  just  narrated  were  occurring  on  the 
Confederate  right,  desperate  and  repeated  assaults  were 
made  by  the  Federals  in  great  force  on  the  left  of  the  Con- 
federate line.  About  11  o'clock  a.  m.,  General  Sumner 
massed  his  troops  under  cover  of  the  houses  of  Fredericks- 
burg, and  soon  moved  out  in  strong  columns  toward  the 
Plank  and  Telegraph  roads  for  the  purpose  of  seizing 
Marye's  and  Willis'  Hills,  at  the  foot  of  which  those  roads 
come  nearly  together  a  short  distance  from  the  town.  Gen- 
eral Ransom, who,  as  before  stated,  had  the  immediate  care 
of  this  point,  at  once  advanced  Cooke's  brigade  to  the  top 
of  the  hill,  and  placed  his  own,  with   the  exception    of  the 


100  '  JOHN  ASH  TON. 

24th  North  Carolina,  a  short  distance  in  the  rear,  this 
North  Carolina  regiment  being  with  Cobb's  brigade  of 
Georgians  in  the  Telegraph  road  at  the  foot  of  Marye's 
Hill.  The  numerous  batteries  on  Stafford  Heights  concen- 
trated their  fire  on  the  Confederate  artiller3'  for  the  pur- 
pose of  trying  to  silence  it  and  cover  the  advance  of  the 
Federal  infantry.  The  Confederate  batteries,  however,  dis- 
regarded this  furious  cannonade,  and  poured  a  rapid  and 
destructive  fire  into  the  dense  lines  of  Federal  infantry  as 
they  advanced  to  the  attack  from  the  outskirts  of  the 
town,  frequently  breaking  their  ranks  and  driving  them 
back  to  the  shelter  of  the  houses.  Notwithstanding  the  ex- 
tensive and  terrible  slaughter  effected  by  the  Confederate 
artillery,  the  Federals  pressed  forward  six  times  with  great 
gallantry  to  within  one  hundred  yards  of  the  foot  of  the 
hill,  but  here  they  received  the  well-directed  and  destructive 
fire  of  the  Confederate  infantry,  by  which  their  columns 
were  shattered,  and  the  survivors  fled  in  confusion  to  the 
town.  The  havoc  made  in  their  ranks  was  horrible,  and  im- 
mediately in  front  of  the  position  held  by  Cobb's  brigade 
the  ground  was  literally  covered  with  dead  and  wounded 
men.  The  brave  and  noble  commander  of  this  brigade, 
General  Thomas  R.  R.  Cobb,  fell  during  the  third  assault  of 
the  Federals.  He  was  distinguished  as  an  orator  and  a 
statesman  as  well  as  a  soldier,  and  his  untimely  death  was 
deeply  lamented  by  every  Southerner  who  had  heard  of  his 
Christian  virtues,  civil  renown  and  military  fame.  The 
fighting  at  this  point  continued  until  nightfall  and  every 
attack  of  the  Federals  was  successfully  repulsed.  During 
the  day  General  Sumner  used  the  entire  force  of  the  Right 
Grand  Division  in  his  efforts  to  take  Marye's  and  Willis' 
Hills,  and  the  order  of  his  several  assaults  was  as  follows: 
Toward  noon  the  division  of  Hancock,  composed  of 
Caldwell's  brigade,  Meagher's  (Irish)  brigade,  and  Zook's 
brigade,  and  the  division  of  French, composed  of  Kimball's, 
Palmer's  and  Andrews'  brigades,  pressed  forward  from  the 
town  toward  Marye's  and  Willis'  Hills.  They  advanced 
with  great  gallantry  and  determination  across  the  open 
ground,  but  were  met  with  such  a  destructive  fire  of  ar- 
tillery and    musketry  that   their  ranks   were  quickly  shat- 


JOHJSr  ASRTON.  101 

tered,  their  progress  was  checked,  and  finally  they  fled  in 
confusion  to  the  town.  The  casualties  in  the  three  first 
mentioned  brigades  were  exceedingly  great,  as  they  lost  in 
killed,  wounded  and  captured  nearly  halt  of  the  troops 
engaged.  They  fought  bravely  and  well,  but  no  troops 
could  have  withstood  the  rapid  and  deadly  fire  to  which 
they  were  subjected.  Howard's  division,  composed  of 
Sully's,  Owens'  and  Hall's  brigades,  Sturgis'  division,  com- 
posed of  Nagle's  and  Ferrero's  brigades,  and  Getty's  divis- 
ion, composed  of  Hawkins'  and  Harland's  brigades,  were 
next  advanced  by  Sumner  to  renew  the  attack.  This  they 
did  with  great  spirit  and  gallantry,  but,  like  the  troops 
who  had  preceded  them,  thej'  were  repulsed  with  fearful 
slaughter  and  driven  back  by  the  destructive  fire  of  the 
Confederates.  It  was  now  about  2  o'clock  p.  m.,  and  the 
repeated  and  ineffectual  efforts  which  had  been  made  to 
take  the  Confederate  works  should  have  convinced  General 
Burnside  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  take  them;  but 
he  appeared  not  to  realize  the  fact  and,  although  he  had 
that  morning  learned  from  a  Confederate  prisoner  that 
Longstreet's  position  was  impregnable  and  that  the  Con- 
federates desired  an  attack  at  that  point,  he  determined  to 
make  another  effort  to  carry  Mar\'e's  and  Willis'  Hills,  and 
ordered  General  Hooker  to  make  the  attack  with  Butter- 
field's  corps.  Griffin's  division  of  this  corps  had  been  sent 
to  support  General  Sturgis,  and  the  remaining  divisions  of 
Humphreys  and  Sykes  constituted  the  force  with  which 
Hooker  was  expected  to  do  that  which  Couch's  entire 
corps  and  two  divisions  of  Willcox's  corps  had  failed  to 
accomplish  by  repeated  efforts  during  the  greater  part  of 
the  day.  Being  fully  convinced  that  it  would  be  a  useless 
waste  of  life  to  make  the  attack  with  the  force  at  his  com- 
mand. General  Hooker  dispatched  an  aide  to  General  Burn- 
side  advising  him  not  to  attack.  Burnside  replied  that  the 
attack  must  be  made.  Hooker  then  in  person  gave  Burn- 
side a  more  thorough  explanation  of  the  difficulties  that 
would  render  the  attack  fruitless,  and  endeavored  to  dis- 
suade bim  from  making  it,  but  Burnside  insisted  upon  its 
being  made.  Hooker  then  brought  up  every  available  bat- 
tery at  his  disposal,  posting  one  of    them  (Hazzard's,  of  the 


102  JOHN  ASH  TON. 

1st  Rhode  Island  Artillery)  within  about  five  hundred 
yards  of  the  Confederate  line,  and  a  furious  cannonade 
was  begun  upon  the  Confederate  position.  This  artillery' 
fire  was  continued  with  great  vigor  until  near  sunset,  and 
then  the  direct  attack  with  bayonet  was  made  by  Humph- 
rey's division,  Sykes'  division  advancing  on  its  right  to 
assault  en  echelon  and  support. 

Notwithstanding  the  desperate  character  of  their  un- 
dertaking and  the  bloody  repulses  of  those  who  had  pre- 
ceded them,  the  troops  moved  bravely  forward  and  the 
attack  was  made  with  great  gallantry  and  determination, 
but,  like  all  of  the  attacks  that  preceded  it  and  at  about 
the  same  place  on  the  plain,  it  was  quickly  checked  by  the 
fatal  fire  of  the  Confederates,  and  the  attacking  columns 
were    driven  back  with  heavy  loss. 

This  was  the  last  attack  made  on  the  Confederate  left, 
and  marked  the  close  of  a  hard-fought  battle,  in  which  the 
Confederates  had  achieved  a  signal  victory  over  nearly  five 
times  their  numbers;  for,  while  the  greater  part  of  General 
Burnside's  army  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  thousand 
was  engaged  in  the  battle,  the  whole  number  of  General 
Lee's  troops  actually  engaged  did  not  exceed  twenty-five 
thousand.  The  Confederate  loss  in  killed,  wounded  and 
captured  was  four  thousand  two  hundred  and  one,  and  that 
of  the  Federals  was  twelve  thousand  six  hundred  and 
fifty-three. 

Ashton  did  not  take  part  in  the  general  engagement  at 
Fredericksburg  and,  during  most  of  the  time  occupied  by  it, 
was  only  a  spectator,  as  General  Stuart's  cavalry  was 
guarding  the  right  wing  of  Lee's  army,  and  only  occasion- 
ally attacking  the  Federal  left  when  a  favorable  oppor- 
tunity for  so  doing  occurred.  The  respective  positions  of 
the  two  armies  and  the  nature  of  the  ground  were  such  as 
to  prevent  a  more  extensive  operation  of  Stuart's  com- 
mand. 

We  should  have  mentioned,  however,  that  about  ten  days 
before  the  battle,  Ashton  was  one  of  a  party  of  dis- 
mounted men  who  went  on  an  expedition  into  Westmore- 
land county  and  captured  the  Federal  pickets  at  Leeds- 
town.     The  party  consisted  of  a  detachment  of  sixty   men 


JOHN  ASRTON.  103 

from  the  9th  Virginia  cavalry,  under  the  command  of 
Major  T.  Waller.  They  left  their  horses  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Rappahannock,  and  crossed  the  river  in  skiffs  a  short 
distance  above  Leedstown  on  the  night  of  December  1st, 
and  after  making  a  detour  of  several  miles,  approached  the 
town  from  the  rear  or  north  side  of  the  same.  They 
waited  in  concealment  until  just  before  the  setting  of  the 
moon  between  2  and  3  o'clock  a.  m.,  and  then  cautiously 
but  quickly  proceeded  to  accomplish  the  object  of  the  expe- 
dition. A  short  distance  above  the  town  they  surprised  and 
captured  a  sentinel  posted  on  the  Port  Conway  road,  in 
the  town  they  captured  eight  men,  and  just  below  the 
town,  within  a  short  distance  of  the  river,  they  captured 
two  more  sentinels  and  the  entire  picket  force,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  one  man  who  escaped  in  the  darkness.  The 
whole  number  captured  was  forty -nine,  including  the  officer 
in  command.  Captain  Wilson  of  the  8th  Pennsylvania  cav- 
alry. They  also  captured  fifty  horses,  and  recaptured  two 
Confederates  who  had  previously  fallen  into  the  hands  of 
the  Federals.  The  party  recrossed  the  river  in  safety  that 
morning  without  having  suffered  any  casualty  during  the 
expedition,  except  the  accidental  wounding  of  one  man  by 
one  of  his  comrades. 


104  JOHN  ASRTON. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

About  ten  days  after  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  Gen- 
eral Stuart  planned  a  raid  on  Dumfries  and  other  points 
near  the  Potomac.  The  force  organized  for  this  expedi- 
tion consisted  of  detachments  from  the  brigades  of  Gener- 
als Hampton,  Fitzhugh  Lee  and  W.  H.  F.  Lee,  aggregating 
in  all  one  thousand  eight  hundred  men,  and  four  pieces  of 
the  Stuart  Horse  Artillery.  These  detachments  were  under 
the  immediate  command  of  their  respective  brigade  com- 
manders and,  having  crossed  the  Rappahannock  at  Kelly's 
Ford,  bivouacked  near  Morrisville  on  the  night  of  Decem- 
ber 26th,  1862.  In  accordance  with  the  plan  marked  out 
by  General  Stuart,  General  Hampton  was  to  move  around 
to  the  left  toward  Occoquan,  General  Fitzhugh  Lee  was  to 
strike  the  Telegraph  road  betw^een  Dumfries  and  Acquia 
Creek,  and  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee  was  to  march  between  the 
two  directly  upon  Dumfries.  Ashton  was,  of  course,  with 
the  detachment  of  his  new  brigade  commander.  General  W. 
H.  F.  Lee,  and  it  proceeded  on  its  march  without  meeting 
any  Federals  until  it  reached  Wheat's  Mill  on  the  Quantico 
Creek.  Here  they  found  an  infantry  picket  consisting  of 
twelve  men,  which  was  charged  and  captured  by  one 
squadron  of  Ashton's  regiment  under  Captain  S.  Boiling. 
This  squadron  at  once  crossed  the  Quantico  Creek  sup- 
ported by  two  other  squadrons,  but  on  arriving  at  the 
suburbs  of  Dumfries  it  was  driven  back  by  two  regiments 
of  infantry.  A  squadron  of  Federal  cavalry  then  advanced, 
but  was  quickly  repulsed  and  hastily  retreated.  About 
this  time  General  Stuart  arrived  and  ordered  up  Henry's, 
battery  of  horse  artillery,  which  opened  on  the  Federals  and 
soon  drove  them  from  their  position.  The  Federals 
promptly  brought  forward  their  artillery  and  an  engage- 
ment ensued  between  it  and  the  Confederate  battery.  The 
Federals  soon  evacuated  the  town  and  took  position  in  a 
pine  thicket  on  a  high  ridge  overlooking  the  town,  their 
force  consisting  of  a  brigade  of  infantry  and  a  battery  of 
artillery.  In  the  meantime,  General  Fitzhugh  Lee's  com- 
mand had  struck  the    Telegraph    road  about  two  miles  be- 


JOHN  ASHTON.  105 

low  Dumfries,  captured  twenty-four  men,  and  nine  wagons 
laden  with  sutler's  stores,  and  now  arrived  at  Dumfries. 
General  Stuart  then  arranged  to  assault  the  Federals  and 
capture  the  town;  but,  upon  reflection,  abandoned  the  un- 
dertaking, as  the  capture  of  the  place  was  of  no  especial 
importance  and  would  not  have  compensated  for  the  loss 
of  life  that  would  have  resulted  from  the  movement,  and 
General  Fitzhugh  Lee  was  ordered  to  engage  the  Federals 
with  dismounted  skirmishes  and  artillery,  while  the  remain- 
der of  the  command  moved  around  on  the  Brentsville  road. 
These  dismounted  men  and  two  guns  of  Breathed's  battery 
kept  up  the  engagement  until  dark.  In  this  engagement, 
while  gallantly  leading  the  sharpshooters,  Captain  J.  W. 
Bullock,  of  the  5th  Virginia  cavalry  was  mortally  wounded. 
General  Hampton  in  the  meantime  had  moved  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Occoquan,  captured  a  picket  at  Cole's  store,  and 
a  part  of  his  command  dashed  into  Occoquan,  dispersing 
several  hundred  Federal  cavalry,  and  capturing  nineteen 
prisoners  and  eight  wagons,  with  the  loss  of  only  one  man 
wounded.  That  night  Stuart's  entire  command  bivouacked 
near  Cole's  store  and  the  next  morning  (Decemljer  28th) 
moved  forward  toward  the  Occoquan  River.  On  reaching 
Greenwood  Church,  Colonel  M.C.  Butler,  of  the  2nd  South 
Carolina,  was  detached  and  ordered  to  take  his  command 
to  Bacon  Race  Church  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  off  a  de- 
tachment of  Federals  reported  to  be  in  front  of  the  advanc- 
ing column. 

Soon  after  leaving  Greenwood  Church,  Stuart's  command 
came  in  sight  of  two  regiments  of  Federal  cavalry  drawn 
up  in  line  of  battle  near  a  dense  piece  of  woods.  The  inter- 
vening ground  was  open  and  favorable  for  a  cavalry  charge 
and  General  Stuart  at  once  ordered  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade 
(which  happened  to  be  in  front)  to  make  the  charge.  The 
order  was  promptly  obeyed  and  at  the  sound  of  the  bugle, 
the  brigade,  led  by  the  1st  Virginia  cavalry,  under  Colonel 
James  H.  Drake,  bore  down  upon  the  Federal  cavalry  at 
full  speed  in  the  face  of  heavy  volleys  from  the  enemy's 
carbines.  The  sight  of  thecharging  columns,  with  gHttering 
sabres  flashing  in  the  sunlight,  the  sound  of  the  horses'  clat- 
tering feet  upon  the  road  and,  high  above    the    clang  of 


106  JOUN  ASH  TON. 

sabres,  the  din  of  horses'  feet  and  the  crack  of  carbines,  the 
"wild  Confederate  yell,"  all  conspired  to  make  the  occasion 
thrilling  and  grand  beyond  description. 

So  stirring  was  the  sight  that  General  Hampton,  ever 
ready  for  the  fray,  dashed  forward  with  drawn  sabre  and 
joined  the  Virginians  in  their  gallant  charge,  and  so  rapidly 
did  he  ride  that  he  succeeded  in  unhorsing  some  of  the 
enemy  with  his  own  hand.  The  Federals,  terrified  by  the 
avalanche  of  steel  that  was  being  hurled  against  them,  did 
not  await  its  descent  upon  their  ranks,  but  turned  and  fled 
in  confusion  before  its  rapid  approach.  Then  began  a  rapid 
pursuit  by  the  Confederates,  which  continued  for  five  or 
six  miles  and  resulted  in  the  killing  of  eight  or  ten,  and  the 
capture  of  more  than  one  hundred  Federals. 

The  Federals  fled  across  the  Occoquan  at  Selectman's 
Ford,  and  on  arriving  there  General  Fitzhugh  Lee  found 
that  the  northern  bank  of  the  stream  was  occupied  by  a 
considerable  force  of  dismounted  sharpshooters.  Without 
waiting  to  exchange  shots  with  them,  the  brigade,  led  by 
the  5th  Virginia  cavalry  under  Colonel  T.  L.  Rosser, 
charged  gallantly  across  the  narrow  and  rockj'  ford  in  sin- 
gle file  in  the  face  of  heavy  volleys  from  the  Federal  sharp- 
shooters, and  soon  captured  or  dispersed  the  entire  party. 
Pushing  rapidly  forward,  Lee  found  and  destroyed  a  large 
camp,  captured  a  number  of  horses,  mules,  wagons,  blankets 
and  stores  of  various  kinds,  and  burned  the  tents  and  every- 
thing else  that  could  not  be  carried  away. 

Colonel  Butler  rejoined  the  command  at  Selectman's 
Ford,  having  encountered  a  division  of  Federal  infantry 
that  was  moving  from  Fan-fax  to  the  support  Jof  the 
troops  at  Dumfries,  and  extricated  his  command  from  a 
critical  situation  by  his  coolness  and  presence  of  mind. 
Just  after  Colonel  Butler  rejoined  the  command.  General 
Hampton  went  with  a  part  of  his  brigade  down  toward 
Accotink,  while  the  main  body  moved  across  toward  Burke's 
Station.  PTampton  encountered  a  small  party  of  Federals 
and  at  once  put  them  to  flight,  but  owing  to  the  darkness 
did  not  follow  them  far  and  soon  returned  to  the  main 
command.  The  head  of  the  column  reached  Burke's  Sta- 
tion on  the  Orange   and  Alexandria   railroad  some  time  af- 


JOHN  ASHTON.  107 

ter  dark.  The  telegraph  operator  was  captured  Ijefore  he 
could  give  the  alarm,  and  as  General  Stuart  had  an  opera- 
tor with  him  he  was  enabled  to  ascertain  what  prepara- 
tions had  been  made  to  receive  him,  the  news  of  his  raid 
having  already  reached  Washington  and  dispatches  being  at 
that  time  sent  over  the  wire  between  General  S.  P.  Heintzel- 
man  at  Washington  and  the  commandmg  officer  at  Fairfax 
Station. 

General  Stuart,  who  was  fond  of  and  ever  ready  for  a 
joke,  having  obtained  all  the  information  that  he  desired  as 
to  the  wide-spread  alarm  and  extensive  defensive  prepara- 
tions which  his  raid  had  occasioned,  facetiously  sent  some 
messages  to  General  M.  C.  Meigs,  quartermaster-general  of 
the  United  States  army,  at  ""^'ashington,  in  which  he  com- 
plained of  the  inferior  quality  of  the  mules  recently  fur- 
nished, as  their  condition  seriously  interfered  with  the  mov- 
ing of  the  wagons  that  he  had  captured. 

After  sending  a  small  detachment  under  General  Fitzhugh 
Lee  to  burn  the  bridge  across  the  Accotink  (which  was 
promptly  done),  General  Stuart  left  Burke's  Station  and 
proceeded  to  the  Little  River  turnpike,  and  there  halting 
the  rest  of  the  command,  he  advanced  toward  Fairfax 
Court-house  with  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade  for  the  purpose 
of  surprising  and  capturing  the  town  if  practicable.  The 
place,  however,  was  well-garrisoned  and  Stuart  was  sa- 
luted with  a  heavy  volley  from  the  Federal  infantry  who 
were  guarding  it,  and,  after  keeping  up  the  appearance  of 
an  attack  for  a  short  time,  he  moved  off  by  way  of  Vienna 
toward  Frying  Pan,  near  which  the  command  was  halted, 
and  the  horses  fed  about  dawn,  the  whole  division  having 
been  in  the  saddle  and  constantly  marching  or  fighting  all 
of  the  preceding  night  and  day. 

After  resting  at  Frying  Pan  for  an  hour  or  two.  General 
Stuart  proceeded  to  Middleburg,  and  from  that  place 
Colonel  Rosser,  w^ith  fifteen  men,  went  b\'  way  of  Snicker's 
Gap  into  the  Valley,  and,  having  captured  the  Federal 
picket  near  Leetown,  penetrated  the  enemy's  lines,  ascer- 
tained the  strength  and  position  of  the  forces  in  that  sec- 
tion and  returned  by  way  of  Ashby's  Gap  without  the  loss 
of  a  single  man.     From  Middleburg,  General  Stuart's  com- 


108  JOHN  ASH  TON. 

mand  returned  by  easy  marches  to  Culpeper  Court-house, 
reaching  that  place  on  December  31st,  and  from  there  the 
three  brigades  repaired  to  their  respective  camps,  having 
been  on  the  march  or  engaged  in  fighting  for  seven  days 
and  several  nights,  and  during  that  time  the  saddles  were 
not  taken  from  their  horses  except  on  the  night  of  Decem- 
ber 26th.  General  Stuart's  loss  during  the  expedition  was 
exceedingly  small,  being  one  officer  (Captain  Jj .  W.  Bullock) 
killed,  Lieutenant-colonel  Watts  and  twelve  men  wounded, 
and  one  non-commissioned  officer  and  twelve  privates  cap- 
tured. He  captured  over  two  hundred  prisoners,  a  large 
number  of  horses,  mules,  wagons,  saddles,  bridles,  pistols 
and  sabres,  and  destroyed  the  telegraph  line  between 
Chopawanisie  and  the  Occoquan,  the  tents  and  other  prop- 
erty of  the  2nd  Pennsylvania  cavalry,  fired  the  bridge  over 
the  Accotink  and  destro^'cd  a  portion  of  the  Orange  and 
Alexandria  railroad,  and,  moreover,  obtained  valuable  in- 
formation as  to  the  forces  of  the  Federals  at  Winchester, 
Martinsburg  and  other  points  in  the  Valley.  The  expedition 
was  a  brilliant  and  successful  one,  and  "the  gay  cavaliers" 
who  engaged  in  it  returned  to  camp  in  jubilant  spirits, 
and  many  a  time  for  months  afterward,  around  their  blaz- 
ing camp-fires  did  they  revive,  by  interchange  of  reminis- 
cences, the  memories  of  those  stirring  scenes  and  thrilling 
incidents  that  marked  the  manner  in  which  they  spent  the 
Christmas  holidays  of  1862  at  Dumfries,  Cole's  store, 
Greenwood  Church,  Fairfax  Court-house  and  on  the 
Occoquan. 

Whenever  an  occasion  for  so  doing  was  afforded  him, 
Ashton  had  displayed  his  usual  gallantry  throughout  the 
raid,  and  thereby  maintained  the  high  esteem  in  which  he 
was  held  by  both  officers  and  men  for  his  soldierly  quali- 
ties. Although  of  a  quiet  disposition  and  at  times  some- 
what reserved  in  his  manner,  he  was  quite  popular  with  the 
members  of  his  company ;  for  he  never  held  himself  aloof 
from  the  humlDlest  one  of  them,  and  was  ever  ready  to  ren- 
der an  act  of  kindness  for  his  comrades  when  any  oppor- 
tunity for  so  doing  presented  itself.  After  remaining  a 
month  or  two  longer  on  the  Lower  Rappahannock,  the 
brigade  to  which  his  regiment  belonged  moved   up  to   the 


JOHN  ASHTON.  109 

vicinity  of  Culpener  Court-house,  and  began  to  picket  the 
line  of  the  Upper  Rappahannock  and  the  Hazel  River.  At 
some  points,  little  more  space  than  the  width  of  the  rivers 
se])arated  the  Confederate  and  Federal  pickets,  and  they 
v^ere  thus  in  full  view  and  easy  range  of  each  other;  but 
there  was  a  tacit  understanding  between  them  that  there 
should  be  no  firing  by  either  side,  and  hence  for  Ashton  and 
his  comrades,  who  from  time  to  time  were  sent  on  picket, 
the  first  weeks  of  the  opening  spring  passed  quietly  by, 
without  any  incident  worthy  of  notice. 

However,  about  the  middle  of  April,  1863,  their  routine 
experience  of  picket  duty  and  camp  life  was  suddenly  inter- 
rupted, and  the  services  of  the  brigade  were  called  into 
requisition  to  check  a  threatened  advance  of  the  Federals. 
On  the  13th  of  that  month,  a  heavy  force  of  Federals,  con- 
sisting of  cavalry  and  artillery  moved  up  the  Rappahan- 
nock from  Fredericksburg  to  Kelly's  Ford,  and  General  W. 
H.  F.  Lee  promptly  sent  a  part  of  Ashton's  regiment  to 
meet  them.  About  dawn  the  next  morning  the  Federal 
cavalry,  supported  by  a  regiment  of  dismounted  sharp- 
shooters, made  a  dash  for  the  ford,  but  were  quickly  re- 
pulsed by  the  sharpshooters  of  Ashton's  regiment  and 
hastily  retired  in  disorder.  During  that  morning  they 
forced  a  passage  of  the  river  a  short  distance  above,  at 
Rappahannock  Station,  but  were  again  driven  back.  The 
Confederate  Horse  Artillery  then  engaged  the  Federal  bat- 
teries and  firing  was  kept  up  between  the  artillery  and 
sharpshooters  on  both  sides  during  the  remainder  of  the 
day. 

The  next  day  the  Federal  cavalry  forced  a  passage  of  the 
river  at  Welford's  Ford,  driving  in  the  Confederate  pickets, 
and  also  attacked  a  force  of  Confederates  at  Beverly's 
Ford.  General  Lee  at  once  advanced  rapidly  to  Beverly's 
Ford  with  a  part  of  his  brigade,  and  soon  Ashton  and  his 
comrades  were  in  the  midst  of  the  fray.  The  Federals 
could  not  withstand  the  rapid  and  vigorous  onslaught  of 
the  Confederate  troopers,  and  were  soon  routed  and  driven 
back  across  the  river.  Some  of  them,  however,  were  not  so 
fortunate  as  to  get  across,  for  their  rear  guard,  consisting 
of  two  squadrons,  was  driven  into  the  river  in  a  confused 


110  JOITN  ASH  TON. 

mass,  where  a  number  of  them  were  drowned  and  fourteen 
prisoners  and  sixteen  horses  were  captured.  Although  Ash- 
ton  had  become  so  much  accustomed  to  scenes  of  death 
caused  by  sabre  blade,  bullet  and  cannon  ball  that  he  could 
bear  them  with  some  degree  of  composure,  yet  the  sight  of 
these  drowning  men  was  shocking  to  his  feelings  and 
greatly  enlisted  his  sympathy  in  their  behalf  and  he  would 
have  gladly  saved  them  if  it  had  been  possible  to  do  so. 
Indeed  he  did  succeed  in  saving  one  poor  fellow  who,  in  his 
struggles,  had  managed  to  reach  the  south  side  of  the 
stream,  but  owing  to  the  steapiess  of  the  bank  at  that 
point  could  not  extricate  himself  from  the  water.  Seeing 
his  helpless  and  critical  condition,  Ashton  leaped  from  his 
horse  and,  at  great  peril  to  himself  from  the  firinc^  of  the 
enemy  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  ran  to  the  assistance 
of  the  floundering  Federal  and  succeeded  in  drawing  him 
out  of  the  water.  General  Lee  had  completely  repulsei  the 
Federals  at  all  points,  and  they  did  not  again  attempt  to 
cross  the  river.  His  force,  as  compared  with  that  of  the 
enemy,  was  exceedingly  small,  and  his  own  gallantry  and 
that  of  his  officers  and  men  were  highly  comracided  by 
General  Stuart  in  forwarding  a  report  of  the  two  days 
fighting  to  General  R.  E.  Lee. 

Ashton  and  his  comrades  enjoyed  but  a  short  respite 
from  the  duties  and  dangers  of  war,  for  about  two  weeks 
after  the  occurrences  just  related,  they  were  again  called  on 
to  meet  an  advance  of  the  enemy,  and  this  time  the  force 
to  which  they  were  opposed  was  far  more  formidable  than 
that  which  they  had  before  successfully  checked  and 
routed.  On  the  29th  of  April  the  Federal  army  began  to 
concentrate  at  and  near  Chancellorsville  and  a  large  force 
also  crossed  the  Rappahannock  at  Kelly's  Ford  on  that 
day.  On  the  same  day  General  George  Stoneman  crossed 
the  river  at  that  place  with  about  five  thousand  cavalry 
for  the  purpose  of  starting  on  his  (afterward)  celebrated 
raid,  the  object  of  which  was  ''the  cutting  of  General  Lee's 
communication  with  Richmond  by  the  Fredericksburg 
route,"  and  "the  checking"  of  what  General  Hooker  (who 
had  succeeded  General  Burnside  in  the  command  of  the  Fed- 


JOHN  A8UT0N.  Ill 

eral  army, thought  would  be  "his   retreat"  over  that  route 
when  he  attacked  him  at  C  iincillorsville. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  Hampton's  brigade  had  gone  into 
the  interior  to  recruit  their  horses,  and  Fitzhugh  Lee's 
brigade  had  been  taken  by  General  Stuart  to  Chancellors- 
ville,  and  only  two  regiments,  the  9th  and  13th  Virginia 
cavalry,  of  his  brigade  had  been  left  with  General  W.  H.  F. 
Lee  at  Culpeper  Court-house,  he  had  merely  these  two  regi- 
ments with  which  to  meet  the  advancing  Federals.  With 
this  small  force  of  cavalry  and  one  piece  of  artillery,  he 
marched  from  Culpeper  to  Rapidau  Station  on  April  30th. 
On  May  1st  his  little  band  was  engaged  all  day  with  one  or 
two  brigades  of  Federal  cavalry,  stubbornly  contesting  the 
ground  over  which  they  passed  in  their  forward  movement, 
and  that  night  he  withdrew  to  Gordonsville.  On  Mav  2d  he 
was  informed  that  the  Federals  were  at  Trevilian's  Station, 
and  sent  the  9th  Virginia  cavalry  in  that  direction.  The 
regiment  met  and  gallantly  charged  Ihe  Federals,  drove 
them  back  three  miles  and  captured  thirty-two  of  their 
number.  On  the  following  day  General  Lee  learned  that 
the  Federals  were  moving  from  Louisa  Court-house  toward 
Columbia,  and,  believing  that  their  object  was  to  destroy 
the  James  River  and  Kanawha  canal,  he  at  once  started 
in  pursuit  of  them.  He  arrived  at  Columbia  that  night  but 
the  Federals  had  heard  of  his  approach  and  precipitately 
fled  without  having  destroyed  the  canal,  and  on  learning 
this.  General  Lee  continued  his  pursuit  of  them  during  the 
entire  night.  At  daybreak  he  had  ridden  about  sixty 
miles  and  halted  for  a  short  time  to  rest  his  horses.  Hav- 
ing given  the  horses  a  short  rest,  General  Lee  moved  forward 
and  soon  came  upon  the  Federals  drawn  up  in  column  at 
Flemming's  Crossroads. 

The  squadron  to  which  Ashton  belonged  was  a  few  hun- 
dred yards  ahead  of  General  Lee's  main  force  and  at  once 
charged  the  Federal  cavalry.  The  Federals  charged  at  the 
same  time,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  two  opposing  forces 
were  engaged  in  a  hand-to-hand  tight.  The  engagement 
lasted  only  about  hve  minutes,  when  the  Federals  were 
completely  routed  and  driven  back  with  the  loss  of  six  men 
killed,  a  number   of  others  wounded  and  thirty-three  cap- 


112  JOHN  ASHTON. 

tured,  among  whom  were  Captain  Wesley  Owens  and  Lieu- 
tenant Temple  Buford  of  the  5th  United  States  cavalry. 
Although  short,  the  tight  was  a  fierce  and  vigorous  one  and 
sabres  were  freely  used,  especially  by  the  Confederate 
squadron.  Ashton  was  in  the  front  rank  of  fours  and 
hence  got  into  the  thickest  of  the  fray.  He  became  engaged 
in  a  hand-to-hand  encounter  with  a  Federal  trooper  who 
had  previously  fired  at  him  twice  without  effect  and  hence 
drew  his  sabre  to  defend  himself  from  Ashton's  fierce 
attack  upon  him  with  his  own  sabre.  The  Federal  was  suc- 
cessful only  to  the  extent  of  weakening  Ashton's  blows  and 
preventing  them  from  being  fatal,  for  he  carried  off  in  his 
subsequent  flight  no  less  than  seven  sabre  cuts  as  evidence 
of  the  rapidity  and  skill  with  which  Ashton  had  used  his 
weapon.  So  vigorous  had  been  the  charge,  accompanied,  of 
course,  with  "the  wild  Confederate  yell,"  and  so  fierce 
had  been  the  attack  upon  the  Federal  column,  that  Captain 
James  E.  Harrison,  commanding  the  Federal  cavalry,  ap- 
pears to  have  greatly  exaggerated  the  numbers  of  the 
attacking  squadron,  as  he  says  in  his  official  report  of  the 
fight:  "I  found  that  I  had  become  engaged  with  at  least  one 
thousand  men.  The  shock  of  the  charge  was  so  great  that 
my  foremost  horses  were  completely  knocked  over." 

They  were  "knocked  over,"  not  by  the  supposed  large 
number  of  the  attacking  force  that  charged  his  column,  but 
by  the  impetuosity  and  vigor  with  which  the  charge  was 
made  by  that  gallant  little  squadron  (two  companies)  of 
Confederate  cavalry. 

General  Lee's  entire  force  numbered  only  about  eight  hun- 
dred men,  and  but  one  squadron  took  part  in  the  charge. 
After  their  rout  the  Federals  retreated  to  Yanceyville  and 
subsequently,  by  forced  marches  day  and  night,  succeeded  in 
recrossing  the  Rappahannock  at  Kelly's  Ford.  General 
Lee  was  informed  by  one  of  the  captured  officers  that  Gen- 
eral Buford  was  only  three  miles  distant,  but  owing  to  the 
smallness  of  his  force  and  the  jaded  condition  of  his  horses, 
he  decided  not  to  pursue  him  and  returned  to  Gordonsville. 

Having  learned  on  May  6th  that  a  force  of  Federals  was 
recrossing  the  Central  railroad  below  Gordonsville,  General 


JOHN  ASUTON.  113 

Lee  started  in  pursuit  of  them  and  came  up  with  the  rear 
guard  of  their  column  at  the  North  Anna  river,  where  he 
captured  seventeen  prisoners.  They  had  crossed  the  river 
and  destroyed  the  bridge,  and  as  the  stream  was  swollen 
and  not  fordable  he  could  not  farther  pursue  them.  Learn- 
ing that  another  column  of  Federals  was  moving  farther 
down  the  river,  he  went  in  pursuit  of  them,  but  found  that 
they,  too,  had  crossed  the  river  and  destroyed  the  bridges 
behind  them.  On  the  following  day  he  moved  toward 
Orange  Court-house,  and  learned  from  his  scouts  that  the 
Federals  had  crossed  the  Rapidan  and  were  beyond  his 
reach. 

This  terminated  the  part  taken  by  the  brigade  to  which 
Ashton  belonged  in  the  efforts  that  were  made  to  check 
Stoneman's  raid,  and  in  view  of  the  smallness  of  the  Con- 
federate force  (two  regiments),  their  work  was  bravely  and 
efficiently  done. 

In  the  meantime,  the  main  body  of  General  R.  E.  Lee's 
army  had  fought  and  won  the  battles  of  Chancellorsville 
and  Salem  Church,  and  driven  General  Hooker's  army  back 
across  the  Rappahannock  with  a  loss  of  more  than  seven- 
teen thousand  men,  about  twenty  thousand  muskets,  thir- 
teen pieces  of  artillery,  seventeen  colors  and  an  immense 
quantity  of  ammunition,  the  Confederate  loss  being  about 
eleven  thousand. 

These  victories  were  achieved  by  the  Confederates  over 
greatly  superior  numbers  and  in  the  face  of  apparently 
insurmountable  obstacles;  for,  while  General  Lee's  force  was 
greatly  reduced  by  the  absence  of  General  Longstreet,  with 
Hood's,  Pickett's  and  Ransom's  divisions  in  southeastern 
Virginia,  and  consisted  only  of  Jackson's  corps,  Anderson's 
and  McLaws'  divisions  of  Longstreet's  corps  and  one 
brigade  of  cavalry  and  aggregated  something  over  forty 
thousand  men,  that  of  General  Hooker  consisted  of  his  en- 
tire army  of  seven  corps  and  part  of  the  cavalry  corps, 
numbering  over  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand,  and,  at 
Chancellorsville,  was  intrenched  ia  the  heart  of  a  tangled 
wilderness  behind  strong  earthworks,  the  approaches  to 
which  were  protected  by  abattis  and  barricades  of  heavy 
timber. 


114  JOHN  ASHTON. 

The  victory  of  the  Confederates  at  Chaticellorsville  was 
mainly  due  to  the  rapid  and  successful  flank  movement  of 
General  "Stonewall"  Jackson,  by  means  of  which  he 
turned  General  Hooker's  right  flank,  attacked  him  unex- 
pectedly in  the  rear,  in  the  afternoon  of  May  2d,  and  in 
about  two  hours  drove  the  right  wing  of  his  army  pell-mell 
more  than  three  miles  over  a  succession  of  outer  works,  and 
into  his  strongly  intrenched  central  position  at  Chancellors- 
ville.  In  this  movement,  General  Jackson  had  only  D.  H. 
Hill's  division,  commanded  by  Brigadier-general  R.  E. 
Rodes,  Isaac  R.  Trimble's  division,  commanded  by  Briga- 
dier-general R.  E.  Colston,  and  A,  P.  Hill's  division,  and 
the  first-mentioned  division,  under  the  superb  leadership  of 
the  gallant  Rodes,  completely  routed  and  put  to  ignomini- 
ous flight  the  11th  corps,  commanded  by  General  O.  O.  Ho  vv- 
ard,  which  sustained  a  loss  of  one  thousand,  four  hundred 
and  twenty-eight  killed  and  wounded,  and  nine  hundred  and 
seventy -four  captured;  and,  moreover,  in  their  headlong 
flight  disarranged,  demoralized  and  swept  back  another 
corps  that  had  come  to  their  assistance.  This  victorious 
movement  was  checked  about  8  o'clock  p.  m.,  when  in  the 
darkness  the  Confederates  became  entangled  in  a  heavy 
abattisin  frontof  the  intrenchments  between  them  and  Chan- 
cellorsville,  and  their  first  and  second  lines  were  thereby 
mingled  in  great  confusion.  General  Jackson  prompth'  re- 
formed his  line,  with  A.  P.  Hill's  division  in  front,  and  soon 
thereafter  rode  forward  a  short  distance  to  reconnoitre,  in- 
tending to  renew  the  attack  that  night,  and  giving  orders 
to  his  men  not  to  fire  unless  cavalry  should  approach  from 
the  direction  of  the  Federals.  He  had  gone  about  one  hun- 
dred yards  when  he  discovered  that  no  pickets  had  been 
placed  in  front  of  his  line  and,  having  finished  his  inspec- 
tion, sent  an  order  to  General  A.  P.  Hill  to  advance,  and 
started  to  return  to  his  troops.  He  failed  to  notify  them 
of  his  approach  and,  while  riding  back,  he  and  his  escort 
were  fired  upon  by  some  of  his  own  men, who  supposed  them 
to  be  Federal  cavalr3'.  From  this  fire  General  Jackson 
received  several  wounds  that  completely  disabled  him,  and 
from  the  effects  of  which  he  died  on  May  10th. 


JOHN  ASH  TON.  115 

But  for  this  occurrence,  General  Hooker's  arm\'  would  have 
been  annihilated  or  captured,  for  it  was  General  Jackson's 
purpose  to  move  his  troops  still  farther  to  the  left,  get 
completely  in  General  Hooker's  rear,  occupy  the  roads  lead- 
ing to  Ely's  Ford  on  the  Rapidan  and  the  United  States 
Ford  on  the  Rappahannock,  thus  catting  off  his  line  of  retreat, 
and,  on  the  following  da3^  after  remaining  on  the  defensive 
for  a  few  hours  and  repulsing  the  efforts  that  General 
Hooker  would  have  naturalh^  made  to  open  his  line  of 
retreat,  he  intended  to  attack  the  Federal  commander  from 
the  rear  with  his  whole  force,  while  General  Lee  pressed 
him  in  front,  and  in  this  way  the  Federal  army  would  have 
been  crushed  between  the  two  Confederate  forces  thus  clos- 
ing in  upon  it.  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  who  was  unex- 
pectedly called  to  the  command  of  the  troops  that  night  on 
account  of  the  fact  that  General  A.  P.  Hill  had  been 
wounded,  being  unfamiliar  with  the  ground  and  uninformed 
as  to  General  Jackson's  plans,  pursued  a  different  policy  and, 
on  renewing  the  battle  the  next  morning,  moved  his  troops 
to  the  right  until  he  had  formed  a  junction  with  General 
Lee,  The  united  forces  of  the  two  then  stormed  and  cap- 
tured the  Federal  stronghold  at  Chancellors  ville,  but  Hook- 
er's line  of  retreat  toward  the  Rappahannock  being  open, 
he  succeeded  in  escaping  in  that  direction,  and  took  refuge 
in  a  strong  line  of  intrenchments  covering  the  United  States 
Ford, 

General  Lee  made  preparations  to  renew  his  attack  on" 
General  Hooker  and  drive  him  across  the  Rappahannock,  but 
was  deterred  from  so  doing  by  the  receipt  of  information 
that  General  Sedgwick,  with  a  large  force,  was  marching 
against  him  from  the  direction  of  Fredericksburg,  with  only 
General  C,  M.  Wilcox's  brigade  to  impede  his  progress. 
General  Lee  at  once  ordered  General  McLaws,  with  Ker- 
shaw's, Wofford's,  Semmes'  and  Mahone's  brigades,  to  the 
assistance  of  General  Wilcox.  When  these  reinforcements 
reached  him.  General  Wilcox,  with  only  about  two  thou- 
sand men,  was  gallantly  holding  in  check  General  Sedgwick's 
force  of  about  twenty  thousand  at  Salem  Church,  and  had 
formed  his  brigade  in  line  of  battle  across  the  plank-road 
to  receive  an  attack  that  was  about  to  be  made  by   the 


116  JOUN  ASHTON. 

advancing  Federals.  General  McLaws  quickly  lengthened 
his  line  of  battle  by  placing  Kershaw's  and  Wofford*s 
brigades  on  the  right  and  Semmes'  and  Mahone's  brigades 
on  the  left  of  Wilcox's  brigade;  but  before  his  troops  were 
fully  in  position  the  Federals  had  pressed  forward  in  heavy 
force  and  attacked  the  brigades  of  Wilcox,  Semmes  and 
Mahone,  the  50th  and  53rd  Georgia  regiments  of  Semmes' 
brigade  having  to  take  position  under  a  storm  of  bullets. 

The  attack  of  the  Federals  was  gallantly  made,  but  it 
was  still  more  gallantly  and  successfully  repulsed  by  the 
Confederates,  the  brigades  of  Wilcox  and  Semmes  bearing 
the  brunt  of  the  battle;  and  after  a  lierce  and  desperate 
conflict,  the  Federals  were  routed  and  driven  back  in  great 
confusion.  Wilcox's  brigade  and  the  10th  and  51st  Geor- 
gia regiments,  of  Semmes'  brigade,  pursued  the  fleeing  Fed- 
erals, and  another  line  coming  up  the  plank-road  to  the 
support  of  their  retreating  comrades  was  quickly  broken 
by  the  Confederates  and  driven  back  in  a  perfect  rout  upon 
the  Federal  reserves.  It  was  now  dark,  and  the  conflict 
ceased  for  the  night. 

During  the  next  day  General  Lee  came  in  person  with  the 
remainder  of  General  R.  H.  Anderson's  division  (Perry's, 
Posey's  and  Wright's  brigades)  to  reinforce  General  Mc- 
Laws, and  about  6  p.m.  renewed  the  attack  on  General  Sedg- 
wick, who  was  rapidly  driven  back  toward  the  Rappahan- 
nock until  darkness  prevented  farther  pursuit,  and  he 
made  his  escape  that  night  by  crossing  the  river  at  Banks' 
Ford. 

On  the  following  day.  General  Lee  returned  to  Chancellors- 
ville  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  General  Hooker,  but  was 
prevented  from  so  doing  by  the  retreat  of  the  latter  that 
night  across  the  Rappahannock  at  the  United  States   Ford. 

Thus  ended  General  Hooker's  brief,  bloody  and  unsuccess- 
ful Chancellorsvil'e  campaign,  and  his  complete  and  disas- 
trous defeat,  culminating  in  the  strange  spectacle  of  an 
immense  army  fleeing  before  a  force  about  one-third  as 
large  as  its  own,  presented  a  picture  in  strikingly'  ridiculous 
contrast  to  the  imaginary  one  drawn  by  him  on  April  30, 
when,  after  he  had  crossed  the  Rappahannock  with  but 
little  opposition  and  massed  his  troops  around  Chancellors- 
ville,  he  issued  "General  Orders,  No.  47,"  and  therein  said  : 


JOHN  ASHTON.  117 

"It  is  -with  heartfelt  satisfaction  the  commanding  gen- 
eral announces  to  the  army  that  the  operations  of  the  last 
three  days  have  determined  that  our  enemy  must  either 
ingloriousl3'  fly,  or  come  out  from  behind  his  defenses  and 
give  us  battle  on  our  own  ground,  where  certain  destruc- 
tion awaits  him." 

The  "enemy"  did  not  "ingloriously  fly,"  but  had  "come 
out  from  behind  his  defenses"  and  given  the  Federals  "bat- 
tle on  their  own  ground,"  and  instead  of  meeting  with  "cer- 
tain destruction,"  had  achieved  a  marked  and  brilliant 
victory  over  vastly  superior  numbers,  thereby  demonstrat- 
ing the  superior  prowess  of  the  Confederate  troops,  and 
also  administering  a  severe  and  wholesome  rebuke  to  the 
premature  boastfulness  of  the  over-confident  Federal  com- 
mander. 

General  Hooker's  effort  to  conceal  the  disastrous  failure 
of  his  inglorious  campaign,  as  shown  by  "General  Orders, 
No.  49,"  issued  May  6,  1863,  was  supremely  absurd  and 
ridiculous  ;  for  in  that  paper  he  says : 

"The  major-general  commanding  tenders  to  this  army 
his  congratulations  on  its  achievements  of  the  last  seven 
days.  If  it  has  not  accompHsIied  all  that  was  expected,  the 
reasons  are  well  known  to  the  army.  It  is  sufficient  to  sav 
they  were  of  a  character  not  to  be  foreseen  or  prevented  by 
human  sagacity  or  resource. 

"In  withdrawing  from  the  south  bank  of  the  Rappahan- 
nock before  delivering  a  general  battle  to  our  adversaries, 
the  army  has  given  renewed  evidence  of  its  confidence  in 
itself  and  its  fidelity  to  the  principles  it  represents.  In  fight- 
ing at  a  disadvantage,  we  would  have  been  recreant  to  our 
trust,  to  ourselves,  our  cause,  and  our  country. 

"Profoundly  loyal, and  conscious  of  its  strength,  the  array 
of  the  Potomac  will  give  or  decline  battle  whenever  its  in- 
terest or  honor  may  demand.  It  will  also  be  the  guardian 
of  its  own  history  and  its  own  fame. 

"By  our  celerity  and  secrecy  of  movement,  our  advance 
and  passage  of  the  rivers  were  undisputed,  and  on  our  with- 
drawal not  a  rebel  ventured  to  follow. 

"The  events  of  the  last  week  may  swell  with  pride  the 
heart  of  every  officer   and  soldier  of  this  army.     We  have 


Il8  JOHN  AS  ETON. 

added  new  luster  to  its  former  renown.  We  have  made 
long  marches,  crossed  rivers,  surprised  the  enemy  in  his  iu- 
trenchments,  and  whenever  we  have  fought,  have  inflicted 
heavier  blows  than  we  have  received." 

Comment  on  this  remarkable  rodomontade  would  be 
superfluous,  as  its  ludicrous  fancifulness  will  be  perfectly 
apparent  to  the  reader  in  view  of  the  facts  previously  nar- 
rated in  regard  to  the  results  of  the  Chancellorsville  cam- 
paign. 

Although  that  campaign  had  resulted  in  a  marked  and 
brilliant  victory  for  the  Confederates,  their  success  had 
been  dearly  purchased;  for  they  had  lost  many  brave 
private  soldiers  and  some  of  their  most  gallant  and  efficient 
officers.  Among  the  latter,  as  already  mentioned,  was  that 
military  prodigy,  General  T.  J.  Jackson,  whose  phenomenal 
achievements  had  made  him  the  idol  of  his  friends  and  a 
terror  to  his  foes,  and  not  only  stamped  him  as  the  best 
corps  commander  of  any  age,  but  also  indicated  that  if  he 
had  been  at  the  head  of  an  army  he  would  have  taken 
rank  with  the  greatest  generals  that  ever  lived. 

After  the  close  of  the  Chancellorsville  campaign,  the 
remainder  of  the  month  of  May  became  a  period  of  com- 
parative rest  to  all  branches  of  the  army  of  Northern 
Virginia,  and  this  rest  was  especially  acceptable  to  Ashton 
and  his  comrades,  in  view  of  the  arduous  service  which  they 
had  rendered  during  Stoneman's  raid.  At  its  close  they 
went  into  camp  in  Orange  county,  where  there  was  an 
abundance  of  clover  on  which  to  graze  their  horses. 

Although  we  have  seemingly  forgotten  our  heroine,  the 
reader  must  not  suppose  that  Ashton  had  forgotten  her 
amid  the  varied  and  exciting  scenes  through  which  he  had 
passed  during  the  preceding  five  months.  Such  was  not  the 
case,  for  he  had  been  constantly  thinking  of  her,  and  was 
greatly  troubled  in  consequence  of  the  fact  that  he  had 
failed  to  hear  from  her,  his  last  letter,  as  before  stated, 
having  been  returned  to  him.  And  now,  while  enjoying 
temporary  rest  from  the  labors  and  dangers  of  active  serv- 
ice during  the  bright  and  beautiful  days  of  May,  and  loll- 
ing in  the  genial  sunshine,  amid  the  blooming  clover  fields  of 
Orange  county,  watching  his  faithful  horse  as   he  content- 


JOHN  ASIITON.  119 

edly  grazed  upon  the  rich  herbage  rising  knee-high  around 
him,  Ashton  thought  more  constantly  than  ever  before  of 
Ruth  Middleton  and  his  ardent  love  for  her.  As  he  reflected 
on  the  depth  and  tenderness  of  his  love  for  her,  he  realized 
how  completely  that  love  had  possessed  his  heart,  and  how 
thoroughly  it  would  dominate  his  after  life.  Although  his 
failure  to  hear  from  Ruth  in  answer  to  his  declaration  of 
love,  and  the  uncertainty  as  to  how  that  declaration  had 
been  received,  greatly  troubled  him,  he  was  not  altogether 
unhappy  and  found  much  pleasure  in  thinking  of  her  and, 
with  the  utmost  abandon,  giving  full  sway  to  his  affection 
for  her.  While  it  was  true  that  he  had  idealized  her  and  felt 
that  he  was  unworthy  of  her  love,  yet,  seeming  contradic- 
tion, he  was  somehow  confident  that  he  would  eventually 
become  the  object  and  possessor  of  that  love.  Leaving  him 
to  indulge  in  his  tender  and  loving  musings  of  Ruth,  we  will 
return  to  her  and  give  some  account  of  the  manner  in  which 
her  life  had  been  spent  in  Richmond. 


120  JOHN  A  SB  TON. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Shortly  after  Ruth's  arrival  in  Richmond,  she  secured  a 
pleasant  boarding-place  with  a  family  on  Franklin  street, 
near  the  Capitol.  The  family  consisted  of  Mrs.  Julia 
Slaughter,  whose  husband.  Colonel  Percy  Slaughter,  had 
been  killed  at  the  second  battle  of  Manassas,  her  daughter 
Kate,  about  eighteen  3'ears  of  age,  and  her  son  Randolph, 
about  thirteen  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Slaughter  was  well 
educated,  refined  in  her  manners  and  exceedingly  kind- 
hearted,  and  her  conduct  was  marked  by  that  gentle,  ever- 
watchful  and  yet  unobtrusive  solicitude  for  the  comfort 
and  pleasure  of  others  which  would  have  caused  one  to 
speak  of  her  as  "a  motherly  woman."  Kate  was  a  high- 
spirited,  bright  and  lively  creature,  thoroughly  independent 
in  her  thoughts  and  actions,  slightly  headstrong  and 
inclined  to  have  her  own  way,  but  withal  utterly  incapable 
of  doing  a  small  or  selfish  thing,  and  as  warm-hearted  and 
affectionate  as  any  child.  Randolph's  disposition  was  the 
counterpart  of  his  sister's  except  in  this,  that  it  was  more 
equable  and  tractable  than  hers  and  invariably  caused  him 
to  show  deference  to  the  opinions  and  wishes  of  his 
superiors.  Ruth  was  charmed  with  the  family  among 
whom  her  lot  had  been  cast,  and  in  a  very  short  time  all  of 
its  members  had  become  quite  fond  of  her.  By  the  kindly 
interest  which  she  manifested  in  Randolph  she  at  once  won 
his  heart,  and  soon  this  manly,  warm-hearted  boy  was  as 
loyal  to  the  lovely  lady  who  had  come  among  them  as  ever 
knight  of  old  was  to  the  fair  maiden  in  whose  honor  he 
engaged  in  the  peaceful  joust  of  the  tourney  lists,  or  rode 
in  martial  mood  to  the  battle-field.  Surrounded  by  such 
kind-hearted  and  considerate  friends,  Ruth  passed  most 
pleasantly  the  time  spent  in  their  company,  and  the  affec- 
tionate interest  which  they  manifested  in  her  welfare  tended 
greatly  to  soothe  her  sorrowing  heart  and  restore  her 
former  peace  of  mind.  During  the  day  the  greater  part  of 
her  time  was  spent  at  the  hospital  where  her  services  as  a 
volunteer  nurse  had  been  accepted,  as  before  stated ;  and 
she  had  become  deeply  interested  in  the  work  in    which  she 


JOHN  ASRTON.  121 

was  engaged,  and  also  in  the  patients  who  had  come  under 
her  care.  She  possessed  all  the  qualifications  necessary  to 
make  a  good  nurse  and  this  fact,  together  with  the  deep  in- 
terest felt  by  her  in  those  to  whose  wants  she  was  minister- 
ing, rendered  her  not  only  eminently  successful  in  her  new 
vocation  but  also  exceedingly  popular  with  her  patients. 

In  making  her  rounds  each  day,  she  always  had  a 
pleasant  greeting,  a  kindly  smile  and  a  cheering  word  for 
every  one  of  her  patients,  and  at  her  approach  the  faces  of 
even  the  most  despondent  would  be  brightened  by  the 
pleasant  emotions  which  her  presence  invariably  inspired. 
Nearly  all  of  the  inmates  of  the  ward  to  which  her  duties 
called  her  were  soldiers  who  had  been  wounded  in  battle, 
and  this  fact  kept  her  constantly  reminded  of  Ashton,  and 
at  first  tended  greatly  to  depress  her  feelings  and  partially 
unfit  her  for  the  discharge  of  her  duties  in  that  cheerful 
manner  in  which  she  knew  that  they  should  be  discharged 
in  order  to  render  them  the  most  efficacious.  In  a  short 
time,  however,  she  succeeded  in  overcoming  this  depressing 
influence,  and  that  which  at  first  had  caused  it  now  helped 
to  better  fit  her  for  her  work;  for,  thinking  of  Ashton  and, 
in  imagination,  picturing  to  herself  the  ghastly  wound  by 
which  she  supposed  he  had  met  his  death,  made  her  more 
solicitous  for  the  recover3-  of  those  who,  like  him,  had  been 
wounded  in  defense  of  their  country,  and  caused  her  to  do 
all  in  her  power  to  alleviate  their  sufferings  and  hasten 
their  recovery. 

Toward  the  latter  part  of  April  Ruth  received  a  very 
affectionate  but  doleful  letter  from  Bertha,  in  which  the 
latter  told  her  of  how  greatly  she  missed  her  and  how  sad 
and  lonely  her  life  had  been  since  she  left,  and  closed  with 
the  statement  that  she  could  not  longer  endure  their  separa- 
tion and  would  be  in  Richmond  on  the  25th  of  that  month. 
At  the  time  mentioned.  Bertha  arrived  in  the  city,  and  the 
meeting  between  her  and  Ruth  was  so  affectionate  and 
joyous  that  any  one  witnessing  it  would  have  been  im- 
pressed with  the  idea  that  they  had  been  separated  for  at 
least  a  year.  As  Bertha  possessed  the  happy  faculty  of 
adapting  herself  to  her  surroundings,  she  would  soon  have 
been  at  ease  in  any  household,   and  in    consequence  of   the 


122  JOHN  AS  ETON. 

genial  dispositions  and  affable  manners  of  the  Slaughters, 
she  at  once  felt  at  home  among  them,  and  was  soon  on 
ver^'  friendly  terms  with  the  entire  family.  She  found  Kate 
especially  congenial  and,  although  the  latter's  nature  was 
the  stronger  of  the  two,  they  possessed  sufficient  similarity 
of  tastes  and  feelings  to  quickly  engender  a  warm  mutual 
attachment  that  brought  about  a  loyal  and  delightful  com- 
radeship between  therii.  As  a  natural  result  of  this,  they 
were  almost  constantly  together  and  to  some  extent  Kate's 
associates  also  became  Bertha's,  Kate's  frank,  bright  and 
high-spirited  nature  and  cordial  manners  had  rendered  her 
quite  popular  with  the  gentlemen  of  her  acquaintance  as 
was  manifested  by  the  number  of  her  visitors.  The  per- 
sonnel of  her  visitors  was  constantly  changing,  as  nearly 
all  of  them  were  soldiers  in  active  service  and  only  tem- 
porarily in  the  city  on  short  furloughs,  or  called  there  by 
business  connected  with  the  army;  for  so  thoroughly  did 
Kate  believe  that  every  young  man  who  was  able  to  shoul- 
der a  musket  or  wield  a  sabre  should  be  at  the  front,  that 
she  would  have  scorned  the  attentions  of  any  such  who 
refrained  from  offering  their  services  to  the  Confederate 
Government. 

"When,  through  the  medium  of  Kate's  existing  acquaint- 
ances, it  became  known  that  the  attractions  of  Mrs.  Slaugh- 
ter's house  had  been  enhanced  by  the  presence  of  two 
charming  girls  from  Georgia,  the  number  of  visitors  propor- 
tionately increased  and  scarcely  an  evening  passed  without 
the  presence  there  of  several  young  soldiers.  And  such  is 
human  nature  and  thebuoyanc3'of  youth,  that  these  young 
men  who,  in  many  instances,  were  fresh  from  scenes  of  car- 
nage and  suffering  and  would  soon  return  to  similar 
scenes,  were  as  gay  and  light-hearted  as  schoolboys  and 
passed  the  time  in  lively  chat  and  merry  jest,  seemingly 
oblivious  of  the  fact  that  a  gigantic  and  destructive  war 
was  in  progress  with  all  of  its  attendant  incidents  of  suf- 
fering and  death. 

Amid  these  gay  parties  that  nightly  filled  Mrs.  Slaughter's 
parlors,  there  was  one  who  was  not  in  harmony  with  her 
surroundings  and  did  not  participate  in  the  lively  badinage 
that  was  freely  indulged  in  by  the  others,   for  Ruth  Middle- 


JOHN  ASHTON.  123 

ton's  heart  was  too  full  of  grief  for  her  lost  lover,  and 
solicitude  for  the  wounded  soldiers  to  whom  she  daily  min- 
istered, to  have  any  room  therein  for  merriment.  Occa- 
sionally, however,  there  were  those  among  these  visitors 
who  were  inclined  to  serious  discourse,  and  Ruth  found 
pleasure  in  conversing  with  them. 

Shortly  after  Bertha's  arrival  she  had  accompanied  Ruth 
on  one  of  her  visits  to  the  hospital,  and  although  at  first  so 
much  affected  by  the  distressing  scenes  around  her  that  she 
felt  inclined  to  hasten  away  from  them,  after  awhile  her 
sympathy  was  so  thoroughly  aroused  in  behalf  of  the  suf- 
fering soldiers  that  she  either  forgot  or  overcame  the  dis- 
agreeable feelings  which  she  had  previously  experienced  at 
sight  of  their  condition,  and  was  suddenly  inspired  with  an 
earnest  desire  to  do  what  she  could  to  relieve  them.  Hence, 
on  leaving  the  hospital  she  proposed  to  assist  Ruth  in  her 
work.  Ruth  was  naturally  surprised  by  this  proposition, 
but  told  her  that  if  the  hospital  authorities  would  consent 
to  the  arrangement  she  would  gladly  accept  her  assistance. 
On  the  following  day  Ruth  submitted  the  matter  to  the 
surgeon  in  charge  of  the  hospital.  Having  ascertained  the 
relation  which  Bertha  sustained  to  Ruth,  he  promptly  con- 
sented to  the  proposed  arrangement  and  after  that  Bertha 
went  to  the  hospital  at  least  once  each  day  to  assist  Ruth  in 
her  duties.  She  soon  became  deeply  interested  in  her  work, 
and  correspondingly  efBcient  in  its  performance.  Bertha 
had  been  assisting  Ruth  for  about  a  week  when  a  num- 
ber of  soldiers  who  had  been  wounded  during  the  battle  of 
Chancellorsville  were  brought  to  the  hospital.  Among  them 
was  Captain  Philip  Carrington,  of  the  4th  Georgia  regi- 
ment of  infantry,  who  had  been  wounded  while  gallantly 
leading  his  company  in  a  charge  on  May  2d.  He  was  shot 
through  the  right  arm  and  as  the  bone  was  broken  it  was 
at  first  thought  that  amputation  would  Vje  necessary;  but 
on  close  examination  the  regimental  surgeon  decided  that 
the  wounded  arm  could  be  saved  by  proper  attention.  The 
wound  was  promptly  dressed ;  all  particles  of  bone  were 
extracted,  and  Carrington  was  carried  to  Richmond  where 
he  could  receive  better  treatment  than  in  the  field  hospital. 
As  he  has  thus  suddenly  come  into  our  story  and  will   figure 


124  JOHN  AS  ETON. 

in  its  future  development,  the  reader  will  doubtless  wish 
to  know  something  about  him.  He  was  about  twenty-five 
years  of  age,  of  medium  stature,  well-proportioned,  and 
had  a  strikingly  handsome  and  attractive  face  and  an  easy 
and  graceful  carriage.  His  complexion  was  dark,  his  hair  and 
mustache  were  almost  black,  and  his  eyes  dark  brown.  He 
was  quite  intellectual,  highly  educated,  and  a  man  of  exalted 
moral  character.  His  disposition  was  genial  and  lively,  and 
he  readily  made  friends  of  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him, 
and  that  too,  without  the  sHghtest  effort  to  win  their 
favor.  He  was  a  physician  and  had  left  a  lucrative  prac- 
tice at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  in  order  to  devote  himself 
to  the  service  of  the  South.  Such  was  Phil  Carrington,  as 
his  friends  familiarly  called  him;  and  he  at  once  attracted 
the  attention  of  Ruth  and  Bertha  and  aroused  their  warmest 
sympathy  in  his  behalf.  Although  they  were  accustomed 
to  minister  alike  and  impartially  to  the  wants  of  all  of  the 
soldiers  in  their  ward,  there  was  something  in  the  appear- 
ance and  manner  of  thishandsomeyoungofScerthatirresist- 
ibly  called  forth  more  than  ordinary  care  and  attention 
on  their  part.  He  was  deeply  touched  by  the  solicitude 
which  they  manifested  in  his  case,  and  plainly  showed  by 
his  manner  that  he  was  truly  grateful  for  the  same. 
Even  under  ordinary  circumstances,  the  gentle  and  kindly 
ministrations  of  two  lovely  girls  would  have  greatly  inter- 
ested and  gratified  him,  and  when  he  ascertained  that  Ruth 
and  Bertha  were  natives  and  residents  of  his  own  State, 
who  had  left  the  comforts  and  pleasures  of  home  and 
come  to  Virginia  to  try  to  allleviate  the  sufferings  of 
unknown  soldiers,  Carrington  became  all  the  more  in- 
terested in  them,  and  his  heart  was  filled  with  pride  and 
gratitude  at  the  thought  of  their  patriotic  and  self- 
sacrificing  devotion  to  the  cause  of  the  Confederacy.  As  he 
became  better  acquainted  with  them,  his  respect  and  admi- 
ration for  them  rapidlj'-  increased,  and  soon  he  was  on 
quite  friendly  terms  with  them.  In  a  short  time,  he  had  so 
far  recovered  from  the  debilitating  effects  of  his  wound 
that  he  was  able  to  take  a  little  exercise  each  day,  and 
after  that  he  rapidly  regained  his  strength  and 
health.    As  soon    as   the  surgeon   pronounced  him   out  of 


JOHN  AsiiTOJsr.  125 

danger  and  consented  that  he  might  be  discharged  from  the 
hospital,  he  secured  a  boarding-place  in  the  city  and 
became  a  frequent  visitor  at  Mrs.  Slaughter's  residence. 
Although  he  greatly  admired  both  Ruth  and  Bertha,  he  had 
been  especially  attracted  to  the  latter,  and  it  soon  became 
evident  to  those  who  saw  them  together  that  Carrington 
was  in  a  fair  way  of  becoming  the  willing  captive  of  this 
bright  and  charming  Georgia  girl.  It  was  also  evident  that 
she  was  deeply  interested  in  him  and  preferred  his  society 
to  that  of  any  of  the  numerous  visitors  who,  from  time  to 
time,  called  at  Mrs.  Slaughter's.  As  Carrington's  interest 
in  and  regard  for  Bertha  increased,  he  naturally  became 
anxious  to  enjoy  more  of  her  society  than  he  had  opoortu- 
nities  for  enjoying  in  Mrs.  Slaughter's  parlors  while  other 
visitors  were  present,  and  hence  he  began  to  take  her  out 
driving  to  various  points  of  interest  in  and  around  the  city. 
He  made  full  use  of  the  opportunities  thus  afforded  for 
manifesting  his  increasing  interest  in  and  warm  regard  for 
Bertha  and,  erelong,  noticed  with  joyous  emotions  evidences 
of  the  fact  that  his  lover-like  attentions  were  acceptable  to 
her  and  that  her  interest  in  him  was  daily  increasing.  Shortly 
after  Carrington  left  the  hospital  and  began  his  visits  to  the 
young  ladies  at  Mrs.  Slaughter's,  one  of  Kate  Slaughter's 

acquaintances,  Lieutenant  Henry  Harris  of  the artillery, 

called  at  Mrs.  Slaughter's  one  evening  and  brought  with 
him  a  young  man  whom  he  introduced  as  Sergeant  Paul, 
of  Mosby's  cavalry.  Harris  had  met  Paul  a  few  days 
before  in  the  reading-room  of  the  Exchange  Hotel,  when  a 
lengthy  conversation  ensued  between  them.  The  intelli- 
gent and  ready  manner  in  which  Paul  discussed  the  various 
topics  thatformedthesubjectsof  theirconversation,  and  his 
easy  and  affable  manners  made  quite  a  favorable  impres- 
sion on  Harris,  and  on  meeting  Paul  again  the  next  day,  he 
gave  him  a  very  cordial  greeting.  The  letter  not  only 
heartily  responded  to  the  cordial  greeting  of  Harris,  but  so 
demeaned  himself  in  their  subsequent  conversation  as  to 
impress  Harris  with  the  idea  that  he  desired  to  cultivate 
his  acquaintance.  Harris,  being  of  a  social  disposition 
and  finding  Paul's  conversation  entertaining,  readily 
acquiesced  in   this  desire,    and  they   were  soon  on  friendly 


126  JOHN  ASHTON. 

terms.  As  a  result  of  the  acquaintance  thus  begun,  Harris 
had  invited  Paul  to  join  him  in  a  visit  to  the  young  ladies 
at  Mrs.  Slaughter's;  and  hence  his  appearance  there  at  the 
time  before  mentioned.  Carrington  was  present  on  the 
occasion  and,  although  Paul  was  a  man  of  fine  personal 
appearance,  easy  bearing,  affable  manners,  and  apparently 
frank  disposition,  he  was  somewhat  unfavorably  impressed 
by  him  and  could  not  avoid  wondering  whether  his  sup- 
posed frankness  was  real  or  assumed.  If  he  had  been 
called  on  to  give  a  reason  for  this  unfavorable  impression, 
he  could  not,  perhaps,  have  given  one  that  would  have  been 
satisfactory  to  any  one  else,  nor  could  lie,  in  reflecting 
on  the  matter  afterward,  attribute  it  to  any  cause  that 
was  entirely  clear  or  satisfactory  to  himself.  However,  the 
impression  had  been  made  and  continued  to  exist  without 
any  tangible  cause.  It  was  one  of  those  sudden,  instinc- 
tive, and  inexplicable  feelings  of  distrust  and  antipathy 
which  are  engendered  by  what  may  be  termed  the  exhalations 
from  an  evil  or  hypocritical  nature,  independent  of  overt 
act  or  outward  appearance,  just  as  one's  sense  of  smell  is 
offended  by  the  noxious  odors  of  a  poisonous  flower, 
although  in  appearance  it  may  be  the  perfection  of  beauty. 
Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  Sergeant  Paul  ignored  (if  he 
were  aware  of  its  existence)  the  unfavorable  impression 
which  he  had  made  on  Carrington,  and  was  perfectly  easy 
and  aff"able  in  his  conduct  toward  him,  doing  and  saying 
nothing  that  was  apparently  insincere  or  offensive,  Car- 
rington could  not  get  rid  of  the  sense  of  distrust  that  he 
experienced  in  regard  to  him.  Having  formed  the 
acquaintance  of  the  young  ladies  at  Mrs.  Slaughter's,  and 
being  apparently  well  pleased  with  their  society,  Paul 
continued  to  visit  them,  and  by  his  bright  and  sprightly 
conversations  and  pertinent  and  intelligent  observations  on 
the  conduct  and  progress  of  the  war,  invariably  succeeded 
in  interesting  and  entertaining  his  listeners.  Moreover, 
he  occasionally  presented  to  their  view  certain  phases  of 
the  war,  with  which  not  even  the  most  experienced  soldiers 
present  were  familiar,  by  giving  them  graphic  pictures  of 
Mosby  and  his  httle  band  of  partisan  rangers  when 
engaged   in   their   irregular  but   efiicient  system    of  border 


joh:s  ashton.  127 

warfare,  telling,  with  the  spirit  and  perspicuity'  of  an  eye- 
witness and  participant,  of  their  silent,  midnight  marches 
through  the  darksome  woods  in  their  frequent  incursions 
into  the  enemy's  lines,  their  unexpected  and  vigorous 
assault  upon  and  capture  of  some  outlying  Federal  picket- 
post,  and  their  rapid  return  into  the  Confederate  lines  and 
sudden  dispersion  to  their  secret  haunts  in  Fauquier  and 
Rappahannock  counties  and  amid  the  mountain  fastnesses 
of  the  Blue  Ridge.  Such  incidents  were  not  only  interesting, 
but  also  novel  to  Paul's  listeners,  for,  as  Mosby  was  not 
with  the  regular  army  and  was  operating  outside  of  the 
Confederate  lines,  even  the  soldiers  present  had  no  means 
of  acquiring  full  information  in  regard  to  his  movements. 
Hence,  those  to  whom  Paul  related  Mosby's  gallant  and 
successful  achievements,  were  naturally  deeply  interested  in 
their  narration  and  consequently  pleased  with  the  narrator. 
He  had  seemingly  incidentally  explained  his  presence  in 
Richmond  at  this  time  by  stating  that  he  had  been  sent  there 
with  dispatches  for  the  War  Department  and  had  leave  of 
absence  from  his  command  for  two  or  three  weeks.  This 
explanation  of  his  presence  in  the  city  was  a  plausible  one 
and  entirely  satisfactory  to  those  who  had  heard  it. 

It  was  now  the  first  of  June  and  about  two  weeks  after 
Paul  began  his  visits  at  Mrs.  Slaughter's,  when,  during  one 
of  his  visits,  he  announced  that  he  expected  to  return  to  his 
command  in  a  day  or  two.  The  next  afternoon  Carring- 
ton  and  Bertha  took  a  long  drive  which  was  the  occasion 
of  certain  developments  that  were  of  sufficient  interest  to 
entitle  them  to  a  place  in  our  story.  Leaving  Franklin 
street  near  the  southwest  corner  of  Capitol  Square,  they 
drove  up  Ninth  street  into  Broad,  and  out  East  Broad 
beyond  Shockoe  Creek  to  Seventeenth  street,  and  up  that 
street  to  where  it  is  called  Valley  street,  and  out  Valley 
street  for  about  a  mile  and  a  half  along  the  Central  rail- 
road. Recrossing  the  railroad,  the3'  drove  around  by 
Shockoe  Hill  Cemetery  into  Second  street,  and  down 
Second  street  to  Marshal,  and  out  West  Marshal  to  Henry 
street,  and  passing  down  Henry  street,  they  drove  b^'  the 
public  square  and  along  what  is  now  Belvidere  street  to 
Albemarle  street  and   out  Albemarle  to  Hollywood   ceme- 


128  JOUN  ASUTON. 

tery.  Here  they  alighted  from  their  buggy,  entered  the  cem- 
etery, and  began  to  stroll  amid  its  beautiful  shrubbery  and 
handsome  monuments.  Although  they  were  seemingly  en- 
gaged in  looking  at  the  many  attractions  of  nature  and  of 
art  that  abounded  in  this  beautiful  city  of  the  dead,  their 
surroundings  had  but  a  small  place  in  their  thoughts,  and 
the  fact  that  they  were  in  the  presence  of  the  emblems  of 
decay  and  death  only  served  to  awe  them  into  comparative 
silence  and  temporarily  check  what  would  otherwise  have 
been  an  exuberant  flow  of  joyous  feeling;  for  they  were 
quietlyand  yet  supremely  happy.  From  what  has  previously 
been  said  in  regard  to  their  increasing  interest  in  each 
other,  the  reader  can  readily  guess  the  secret  of  their  happi- 
ness, and  we  will  simply  state  that,  as  Carrington's  wound 
had  about  healed  and  he  expected  to  return  to  his  regiment 
in  a  few  days,  he  had  seized  the  opportunity  afforded  him 
by  their  lengthy  drive  to  tell  Bertha  of  his  love,  and  received 
the  happy  assurance  that  her  heart  was  all  his  own.  No 
wonder,  therefore,  that  they  were  supremely  happy  and, 
in  a  measure,  oblivious  of  their  surroundings.  Continuing 
their  walk,  unconscious  of  the  distance  that  they  had 
strolled,  they  at  last  reached  a  point  not  far  from  where 
the  James  River  and  Kanawha  Canal  passes  by  the  south- 
ern extremity  of  the  cemetery,  and  here  they  found  a  rustic 
seat  in  the  recess  of  a  beautiful  bower  of  overarching 
vines  and  shrubbery.  The  sight  of  the  seat  reminded 
Bertha  of  the  fact  that  she  was  somewhat  fatigued  by  the 
long  walk  she  had  taken,  and  she  readily  adopted  Carring- 
ton's suggestion  that  they  should  rest  awhile  in  this 
inviting  retreat.  On  entering  it  they  were  effectually 
screened  from  view  from  all  directions  except  tha  t  imme- 
diately in  front  of  its  opening,  and  as  the  shrubbery  and 
bushes  in  the  rear  of  the  bower  and  toward  the  canal  were 
quite  dense,  it  would  have  been  almost  impossible  for  any- 
one to  have  discovered  their  presence  except  by  approaching 
the  bower  directly  in  front.  They  had  been  seated  only  a 
few  moments  when  they  heard  the  sound  of  voices  in  rear  of 
the  bower  and  discovered  that  the  persons  talking  were 
approaching  them  from  the  direction  of  the  canal.  When 
these  persons  had  approached  within   eight  or  ten  paces  of 


JOHN  ASUTON.  129 

Carrington  and  Bertha,  they  stopped,  and  although  the 
latter  could  neither  see  nor  be  seen  by  them,  the\'  could 
hear  what  thcA'  were  saying.  Greatly  to  the  surprise  of  the 
lovers,  they  immediately  recognized  one  of  the  voices  as  that 
of  Sergeant  Paul,  and  the  first  remark  made  by  him  not 
only  fixed  their  attention  but  also  caused  them  to  listen 
with  intense  interest  to  the  conversation  thus  begun,  which 
was  as  follows : 

"Well,  Fox,  I  have  played  mj^  cards  successfully,  and  the 
game  is  won.  The  'Mosby's  man'  dodge  has  worked  like  a 
charm,  as  it  has  increased  my  opportunities  for  observation 
and  decreased  the  dangers  of  detection  ;  forit  is  known  that 
many  of  Mosbj^'s  men  are  not  regularly  enlisted  in  the 
Rebel  army  and  hence  they  have  greater  freedom  of  action 
in  Richmond  than  regular  soldiers,  and  do  not  have  to  give 
such  a  strict  account  of  themselves  as  the  latter.  I  have 
made  several  friends  among  the  Rebel  officers,  and  used 
them  efficiently  in  obtaining  the  information  for  which  I 
came.  I  have  learned  that  Lee  is  concentrating  his  army  in 
Orange  and  Culpeper  counties  with  a  view  to  an  important 
movement.  I  am  preparing  in  cipher  information  as  to  the 
details  of  this  movement  and  will  have  it  ready  for  you 
to-morrow  night.  It  is  best  that  you  should  at  once  take 
this  to  General  Hooker  at  Falmouth.  I  will  remain  here  a 
few  days  longer  and  then  leave  for  the  Rebel  army,  where 
I  hope  to  acquire  some  additional  information  in  regard  to 
Lee's  plans  before  returning  into  our  lines." 

The  person  addressed  as  Fox  replied : 

"You  have  certainly  played  your  cards  well,  Mr.  Craft, 
and  I  congratulate  you  on  the  success  of  your  game.  I 
doubt  whether  there  is  another  otie  of  our  emissaries  who 
would  have  done  half  so  well.  I  hope  that  your  reward 
will  be  proportionate  to  the  service  rendered,  and  in  view  of 
the  dangers  incident  to  such  service,  your  compensation 
should  be  very  great." 

"No  doubt,"  said  Paul,  "I  will  be  handsomely  rewarded 
for  the  information  furnished,  as  its  value  to  the  Federal 
commander  will  be  incalculable.  Among  all  of  the  Rebels 
whom  I  have  met,  a  certain  Captain  Carrington  is  the  only 
one  who  appears  to  have  distrusted  me,  and  he  has  been  so 


130  JOHN  ASHTON. 

much  engaged  in  his  courtship  of  a  Rebel  girl,  who  is  on  a 
visit  here  from  the  South,  that  he  has  made  no  effort  to 
have  me  shadowed,  or,  so  far  as  I  am  informed,  attempted 
to  ascertain  an\'thing  in  regard  to  me.  I  am  sure  he  has 
not  even  suspected  my  real  character,  or  the  object  of  my 
presence  in  the  Rebel  Capital." 

"You  have  been  quite  fortunate,"  said  Fox,  "in  having 
escaped  suspicion  as  to  the  object  of  your  presence  here, 
and  I  hope  that  you  may  be  equally  as  fortunate  during  the 
remainder  of  your  stay.  Now  let  us  have  an  understanding 
as  to  when  and  where  I  am  to  meet  you  to-morrow  night 
for  the  purpose  of  receiving  your  cipher  dispatches  and  any 
further  instructions  you  may  wish  to  give  me." 

"I  have  been  thinking  about  that  matter,"  replied  Paul, 
"and  have  concluded  that  it  would  be  rather  risky  for  us  to 
meet  at  our  former  rendezvous  in  the  city,  as  that  quarter 
is  now  under  complete  surveillance  by  the  police.  It  will  be 
best  for  us  to  have  our  interview  at  some  point  in  or  near 
the  public  square,  and  I  will  meet  you  there  to-morrow  evening 
about  dusk.  I  will  be  near  the  southeast  entrance  of  the 
square  at  that  time,  and  if  I  do  not  immediately  find  an 
opportunity  for  delivering  the  papers  we  can  stroll  out 
toward  the  Richmond,  Fredericksburg,  and  Potomac  rail- 
road, and  I  can  deliver  them  during  our  walk.  As  there  is 
nothing  further  to  be  said  or  done  at  present,  we  will  now 
separate." 

The  speakers  then  retired  in  the  direction  from  which 
they  had  come,  and  Carrington  and  Bertha  at  once  returned 
to  their  buggy  and  drove  back  to  Mrs.  Slaughter's.  They 
were  profoundly  interested  in  what  they  had  heard,  and 
Carrington  told  Bertha  that  he  would  take  immediate 
action  to  arrange  for  the  arrest  of  the  two  spies,  and 
thereby  prevent  Paul's  dispatches  from  being  forwarded  to 
the  Federal  commander.  He  suggested  to  Bertha  that  she 
had  best  spend  the  next  day  away  from  her  boarding- 
house,  so  that,  in  the  event  that  Paul  should  call  there,  she 
would  not  have  to  meet  him  ;  as  he  knew  that  it  would  be  very 
disagreeable  to  her  to  meet_him  after  what  she  had  heard, 
and  also  feared  that  her  manner  toward  him  might  be  such 
as  to  awaken  his  suspicions.     Bertha  readily  promised  that 


JOHN  ASHTON.  131 

she  would  adopt  his  suggestion  and  thanked  him  for  mak- 
ing it,  stating  that  the  thought  of  again  meeting  Paul  was 
extremely  repugnant  to  her.  After  leaving  Bertha,  Car- 
rington  immediately  sought  an  interview  with  the  provost- 
marshal  of  the  city  and  related  to  him  all  that  he  had  heard 
of  the  conversation  between  the  two  spies.  The  provost- 
marshal  assured  him  that  prompt  and  effectual  measures 
would  be  adopted  for  the  apprehension  of  the  spies  and  on 
the  following  morning  he  made  arrangements  for  the 
accomplishment  of  this  object.  Knowing  that  the  presence 
of  policemen  at  or  near  the  public  square  at  the  time  ap- 
pointed for  the  meeting  of  the  spies  would  excite  less  sus- 
picion than  that  of  soldiers,  the  provost-marshal,  after 
consulting  with  the  chief  of  police,  had  ten  policemen 
detailed  for  the  work  in  hand  and  gave  them  full  instruc- 
tions as  to  the  steps  to  be  taken  in  making  the  contem- 
plated arrests.  It  was  arranged  that  the  policemen 
should  be  stationed  as  follows:  Four  near  the  southeast 
corner  of  the  public  square,  four  at  the  junction  of  Henry 
and  West  Franklin  streets,  and  the  two  others  at  the  corner 
of  Smith  and  West  Grace  streets,  as  this  disposition  of  the 
men  would  enabfe  them  to  watch  the  movements  of  the 
spies  in  the  event  that  they  should  not  hold  their  interview 
at  or  near  the  southeast  entrance  to  the  square  as  contem- 
plated by  them,  but  should  go  out  toward  the  Richmond, 
Fredericksburg,  and  Potomac  railroad  to  give  Paul  an 
opportunity  for  delivering  his  dispatches  to  Fox.  A  little 
before  dusk  that  evening,  all  of  the  policemen  had  reached 
the  positions  to  which  they  had  been  respectively  assigned. 
A  few  minutes  afterward,  Sergeant  Paul  sauntered  into  the 
square  from  Henry  street,  and  after  strolling  around  for 
a  short  time,  returned  to  the  southeast  entrance.  A 
moment  afterward,  a  man  in  citizen's  dress  approached  the 
entrance  from  Main  street  and  walked  in.  On  seeing  Paul, 
he  walked  briskly  toward  him  and  when  he  had  reached 
him  extended  his  hand  and  said  : 

"Why,  how  are  you,   sergeant?    t  am  glad  to   see  you. 
When  did  you  reach  the  city?" 

"Good   evening,    Mr.   Phillips,"    said  Paul.     "This   is  an 
unexpected  pleasure,  for  I  had  supposed  that  you  were  out 


132  JOHN  ASHTOJSr. 

of  the  city,  as  I  have  been  here  for  several  weeks  without 
meeting  you.  I  am  really  glad  to  see  3'ou  again  and  regret 
that  we  did  not  meet  before  now,  especially  as  I  will  leave 
for  the  army  in  a  few  da^^s.  Let  us  take  a  stroll,  as  I 
would  like  to  have  a  chat  with  you  and  hear  about  Mrs. 
PhilHps  and  3'our  daughters." 

"Ver^'  well,"  replied  Paul's  companion,  "nothing  would 
please  me  better." 

Paul  and  his  companion  then  turned  around  and  began  to 
walk  off  toward  the  north  entrance  of  the  square,  and 
immediately  the  four  policemen  who  were  near  them,  but 
concealed  by  some  shrulDber\^,  made  their  appearance  and 
started  toward  t'lem.  The  man  called  Phillips  caught  sight 
of  them  and  at  once  darted  off  through  the  square  toward 
the  northwest  corner  of  it.  Two  of  the  policemen  pursued 
him,  fii'ing  several  shots  as  they  ran.  He  ran  with  great 
speed  and  soon  so  far  distanced  his  pursuers  as  to  get  out 
of  their  sight  in  the  gathering  gloom  and  thus  make  his 
escape.  In  the  meantime,  the  other  two  policemen  had 
seized  Paul,  and  one  of  them  said  : 

"Edward  Craft,  ahas  Sergeant  Paul,  by  authority  of  the 
provost-marshal  of  Richmond  and  in  the  name  of  the  Con- 
federate Government,  I  arrest  you  as  a  Federal  spy." 

"Arrest  me  as  a  Federal  sp^^?"  replied  Paul.  "Ha'  ha! 
What  a  blunder!  That  is  certainly  a  capital  joke.  Now  if 
I  had  been  arrested  as  a  Confederate  spy,  there  might  have 
been  some  foundation  for  the  act,  for  the  Major  (that's 
Mosby)  frequently  sends  me  into  the  Yankee  lines  under 
such  circumstances  and  on  such  missions  that,  if  I  were 
caught,  appearances  would  be  so  greatly  against  me  I 
would  doubtless  be  treated  as  a  spy.  But  the  idea  of  my 
being  a  Federal  spy  is  so  preposterous  that  it  is  realh^ 
amusing.  Why,  my  friend,  I  am  one  of  Mosby's  men,  and 
have  been  connected  with  his  command  for  more  than  six 
months." 

The  policeman  replied:  "Yourarrestmay  appear  amusing 
to  you,  but  i  think  you  will  soon  find  that  it  is  a  very 
serious  matter.  However,  it  is  not  my  business  to  discuss 
the  affair  wath  you,  but  simply  to  obe\'  orders  and  conduct 
you  to  the  provost-marshal  to  be  disposed  of  by  him.  And 
as  we  have  some  distance  to  walk,  we  wnll  start  at  once." 


JOHN  ASH  TON.  133 

Having  relieved  hitii  of  his  pistol,  and  the  other  policemen 
having  returned  from  their  fruitless  cliase  after  Fox,  the 
party  started  off  with  Paul,  making  him  walk  between  two 
of  their  number.  On  reaching  Franklin  street  a  inessenger 
was  sent  for  the  policemen  at  the  junction  of  Smith  and 
West  Grace  streets,  and  when  they  arrived  the  entire  part\^ 
returned  into  the  city  and  conducted  their  prisoner  to  the 
provost-marshal,  who  was  at  his  office  awaiting  their 
arrival.  Paul  was  at  once  informed  that  he  had  been 
arrested  on  the  charge  of  being  a  Federal  spy  and  that  he 
w^ould  have  to  submit  to  being  searched.  At  this  state- 
ment he  turned  slightly  pale  and  appeared  to  be  somewhat 
excited  ;  but  recovering  his  composure  in  a  moment,  he  pro- 
tested against  the  indignity  of  such  a  proceeding  and 
demanded  to  know  upon  whose  accusation  he  had  been 
arrested.  At  that  moment  Captain  Carrington  entered  the 
office  and  said  : 

"You  were  arrested  upon  my  accusation,  and  I  am  pre- 
pared to  establish  its  truthfulness.  If  the  persons  who 
arrested  you  did  their  duty,  and  prevented  3^ou  from  deliv- 
ering to  your  confederate  a  certain  document  which  was  to 
have  been  delivered  to  him  this  evening  at  or  near  the  pub- 
lic square,  there  will  be  found  on  your  person  cipher  dis- 
patches to  the  Federal  commander  at  Falmouth  giving 
what  you  claim  to  be  definite  information  as  to  the  con- 
templated movements  of  General  Lee's  army." 

While  Carrington  was  speaking,  Paul  turned  deathly  pale, 
and  gave  unmistakable  signs  of  great  nervousness  and 
embarrassment.  His  confusion  was  such  that  he  did  not 
attempt  any  reply  to  Carrington's  statement;  and  he  was 
at  once  subjected  to  a  thorough  search.  Just  as  had  been 
expected,  a  lengthy  document  in  cipher  was  found  on  his 
person.  It  was  in  a  sealed  envelope  without  direction,  was 
not  addressed  to  any  one,  and  was  simply  signed,  "C." 

As  this  paper  was  the  only  suspicious  article  found  on  his 
person,  and  the  provost-marshal  appeared  unable  to  read 
it,  Paul  experienced  momentary  relief  from  the  feeling  of 
despair  that  had  seized  him  when  it  was  discovered.  This 
relief,  however,  was  only  momentary,  for  the  provost- 
marshal  handed  the  writing  to  his  clerk  and  said: 


134  JOaN  ASRTON. 

"Mr.  Sharp,  examine  this  document  and  see  if  you  can 
read  it?" 

After  examining  the  document  for  a  moment  the  clerk 
said  :  "Yes,  sir;  although  it  is  written  in  a  peculiar  cipher,  I 
can  readily  read  it." 

He  tlien  proceeded  to  read  the  contents  of  the  paper, 
which  embodied  a  detailed  statement  of  the  recent  increase 
of  General  Lee's  army,  the  aggregate  force  under  his  com- 
mand, his  contemplated  invasion  of  Pennsylvania,  the  route 
by  which  he  expected  to  march,  and  the  means  to  be  used  in 
concealing  his  movements  and  ultimate  destination  from  Gen- 
eral Hooker,  and  also  other  information  that  would  have 
been  of  incalculable  value  to  the  latter  at  that  particul  ar 
time.  When  the  clerk  had  finished  reading  the  paper  the 
provost-marshal    turned  to    Paul   and  said: 

"What  have  you  now  to  say  in  answer  to  the  accusation 
against  you  ?  " 

"Nothing,"  replied  Paul  with  an  air  of  seeming 
indifference. 

The  provost-marshal  then  stated  that  the  case  would  be 
investigated  by  a  court-martial  the  next  day,  and  ordered 
that  Paul  be  conducted  to  prison  to  await  his  trial.  This 
was  immediately  done,  and  soon  Paul  was  safely  lodged  in 
a  prison  cell. 

Shortly  after  he  was  placed  in  prison,  he  requested  the 
guard  to  furnish  him  some  paper  and  a  pencil  for  the  pur- 
pose of  writing  a  note  to  one  of  his  friends  in  the  city  to 
procure  counsel  for  him  in  his  approaching  trial.  The 
guard  complied  with  his  request,  and  he  at  once  began  to 
write.  When  he  had  finished  writing  he  told  the  guard  that 
he  would  wait  until  morning  to  send  the  note,  blew  out  the 
light  in  his  cell  and  went  to  bed. 

When  the  jailer  w^ent  to  the  door  of  Paul's  cell  the  next 
morning  for  the  purpose  of  giving  him  his  breakfast,  he 
discovered  that  Paul  had  not  arisen  from  his  bunk.  Hav- 
ing called  him  two  or  three  times  without  receiving  an  an- 
swer, the  jailer  asked  the  guard  to  watch  the  door  while  he 
was  in  the  cell  and  immediately  entered  it. 

Upon  reaching  the  bunk  on  which  Paul  was  lying,  he  was 
startled  and   horrified  to   find  that   he  was  dead.     He    re- 


JOHN  ASllTON.  135 

ported  the  fact  to  the  sentinel  at  the  door,  and  upon  an 
examination  of  the  body,  they  discovered  that  it  was  cold 
and  stiff,  thereby  indicating  that  life  had  been  extinct  for 
six  or  eight  hours.  Lying  on  the  floor  beside  the  bunk  they 
found  a  folded  paper,  and  on  examining  it  at  once 
ascertained  the  cause  and  manner  of  Paul's  death.  So 
intent  were  they  on  immediately  learning  the  contents  of 
the  paper,  they  did  not  go  to  the  light  to  read  it,  but  there 
in  the  semi-darkness  of  the  prison  cell  and  within  touch  of 
the  dead  hand  that  had  written  it,  they  read  with  absorb- 
ing interest  the  following  statement: 

"Knowing  that  there  is  ample  evidence  to  convict  me,  and 
abhorring  beyond  expression  the  ignominious  death  of  a 
spy,  I  have  deliberately  arranged  to  take  my  own  life  by 
means  of  a  poisonous  drug  wiiich  was  long  ago  provided 
for  just  such  a  contingency  as  the  present.  I  earnestly 
request  that  as  little  publicity  as  possible  be  given  to  my 
case  in  order  that  no  susi)icion  as  to  my  identity  may  be 
excited  in  the  minds  of  my  family,  which  is  a  highly  respect- 
able one,  and  no  member  of  it  has  the  remotest  idea  as  to 
where  or  what  I  am.  Not  one  of  those  whom  I  have  been 
serving  suspects  my  real  name,  and  inside  the  Federal  lines  I 
am  known  only  by  the  name  which  will  be  hereunto  signed. 
While  the  name  of  Paul,  by  which  I  am  here  known,  is  an 
assumed  one,  my  claim  to  membership  in  Mosby's  com- 
mand is  not  without  foundation;  for  nominally  I  belong  to 
the  command,  and  have  frequently  aided  in  its  operations. 
I  joined  and  have  operated  with  the  command  in  order  to 
acquire  freedom  of  action  and  ample  opportunities  for  ply- 
ing my  trade,  and  also  to  lessen  the  chances  of  my  detec- 
tion and  arrest. 

"As  to  the  motive  that  prompted  me  in  becoming  a  Fed- 
eral spy,  I  suppose  that  ra^-  case  is  peculiar;  for  it  was 
neither  love  for  the  Union,  hatred  of  the  South,  nor  a 
desire  for  gain  that  caused  me  to  enter  upon  the  work  in 
which  I  have  been  engaged.  I  began  it  purely  in  a  spirit  of 
adventure  and  soon  became  so  much  interested  in  and  in- 
fatuated with  the  work  that,  in  my  thoughts,  I  idealized  it 
and  thereby  was  rendered  oblivious  to  its  ignominious 
character.    Its  dangers  but  enhanced  its  attractions,  and  so 


136  JOHN  AsnroN. 

fascinating  did  it  become  that  I  was  never  for  a  moment 
inclined  to  relinquish  it,  although  I  realized  that  it  would 
probably  lead  to  my  death. 

"I  do  not  fear  death  in  any  ordinary  form,  as  the  act 
which  I  am  abont  to  perform  will  prove.  But  it  is  with 
sickening  dread  and  horrorthat  I  contemplate  the  ignominy 
of  being  hung  asaspy,andin  order  to  escape  that  infamous 
fate,  I  now,  with  a  species  of  gladness,  take  the  poisonous 
drug  which  is  to  launch  into  eternity  the  spirit  of 

"Edward  Craft." 

When  the  jailer  and  sentinel  had  finished  reading  this 
singular  communication,  the3'  expressed  great  surprise  at 
its  contents  and  agreed  in  thinking  that  the  writer  was  not 
altogether  as  bad  as  they  had  supposed  him  to  bs  when  he 
was  brought  to  the  prison  as  a  spy.  Moreover,  they  could 
not  avoid  feeling  a  species  of  admiration  for  the  man's 
courage  and  the  measure  which  he  adopted  to  prevent  his 
public  and  ignominious  execution  and  save  his  family  from 
the  pain  and  humiliation  which  they  would  have  experi- 
enced in  consequence  of  a  knowledge  of  his  fate. 

The  provost-marshal  was  at  once  informed  of  Paul's 
suicide  and,  after  reading  the  communication  which  the  lat- 
ter had  left,  decided  that  he  would  endeavor  to  induce  the 
War  Department  to  comply  with  Paul's  request  that  no 
unnecessary  publicity  be  given  as  to  the  circumstances  of 
his  death. 

In  this  he  was  successful,  and,  the  matter  having  been 
kept  out  of  the  papers,  comparatively  few  persons  in  the 
city  knew  that  a  Federal  spy  had  been  captured  in  their 
midst  and  had  committed  suicide  in  order  to  escape  the  dis- 
graceful penalty  of  his  infamous  crime. 

The  military  operations  which  occurred  shortly  there- 
after plainly  indicated  that  General  Hooker  was  ignorant 
of  General  Lee's  movements  and  the  ultimate  object  of  the 
same;  and  hence,  the  interception  of  Paul's  cipher  dis- 
patches to  the  Federal  commander  naturally  leads  one  to 
speculate  as  to  whether  those  operations  would  have 
occurred,  or  different  movements  been  inaugurated,  if  Gen- 
eral Hooker  had  received  the  information  which  these  dis- 
patches contained.    If  Hooker  had  known  of  the  steps  that 


JOHN  ASHTON.  I37 

were  being  taken  for  the  concentration  of  the  Confederate 
army  at  Culpeper  Court-house  and  General  Lee's  contem- 
plated invasion  of  Pennsylvania,  and  that  only  A.  P.  Hill's 
corps  confronted  him  at  Fredericksburg,  it  is  probable  that 
instead  of  throwing  Sedgwick's  corps  across  the  Rappahan- 
nock at  Deep  Run  on  the  6th  of  June  for  purposes  of 
observation,  the  Federal  commander  would  have  waited 
until  General  Ewell's  corps  left  Culpeper  Court-house  on 
June  10th  and  was  well  on  its  march  to  the  Valley,  and 
then  he  could  have  crossed  the  Rappahannock  with  thebulk 
of  his  army,  crushed  A.  P.  Hill's  corps,  and  either  pressed 
forward  toward  Richmond,  or  marched  against  Lon^- 
street's  corps  at  Culpeper  Court-house  with  decided  chances 
in  favor  of  his  defeating  General  Lee  before  Ewell  could 
return  to  Lee's  assistance.  If  he  had  received  the  aforesaid 
information,  General  Hooker  would  not  have  found  it 
necessary  to  have  sent  General  Pleasanton  with  two  divis- 
ions of  cavalry  and  two  brigades  of  infantry  across  the 
Rappahannock  at  Kelly's  and  Beverly's  Fords  on  the  9th 
of  June  on  a  reconnoissance  that  resulted  in  the  desperate 
and  protracted  cavalry  fight  that  day  at  Fleetwood 
Heights  and  Brandy  Station. 

Ashton  having  taken  an  active  part  in  that  engagement, 
we  are  reminded  to  return  to  him  and  give  some  account  of 
his  experience  and  the  movements  of  his  regiment  after  we 
left  him  basking  in  the  sunshine  amid  the  clover  fields  of 
Orange  county  and  thinking  tenderly  of  Ruth  Middleton. 
For  a  week  or  two,  he  had  ample  time  and  opportunities 
for  frequent  musings  in  regard  to  his  relation  to  Ruth;  for, 
with  the  exception  of  an  occasional  skirmish  drill,  or  a  day 
on  picket,  there  was  but  little  to  interrupt  him  in  his  dailv 
occupation  of  taking  his  horse  out  to  graze  for  hours  at  a 
time  in  the  clover  fields  near  which  his  regiment  was  en- 
camped. Lying  at  full  length  amid  the  blooming  clover 
and  listening  to  the  humming  of  the  bees  around  him  and 
the  more  distant  music  of  numerous  birds  that  were  pour- 
ing out  in  sweetest  strains  the.  flood-tide  of  joy  which  filled 
their  hearts  to  overflowing  at  the  gladsome  advent  of 
spring,  Ashton  was  thoroughly   imbued  with   the  spirit   of 


138  JOHN  ASHTON. 

joyousness  that  pervaded  his  surroundings,  and  thereby  ren- 
dered more  cheerful  than  he  had  been  for  several  months. 

About  a  month  after  his  letter  to  Ruth  was  returned  to 
him  from  the  Dead  Letter  Office,  he  wrote  to  her  again,  but 
received  no  answer  to  his  letter,  and  in  consequence  thereof 
became  exceedingly  despondent;  but  in  the  happy  state  of 
mind  which  he  now  enjoyed,  it  was  easy  for  him  to  imagine 
and  accept  as  satisfactory,  various  reasons  why  he  had  not 
heard  from  her.  Hence,  to  a  great  extent,  he  dispelled  his 
despondency,  gave  full  sway  to  his  absorbing  love  for  Ruth, 
and  dreamed  of  the  time  when  her  silence  would  be  ex- 
plained, and  he  should  learn  that  she  loved  him.  The  ten- 
der love  and  happy  hopefulness  which  he  was  thus  cherish- 
ing, not  only  engendered  in  his  heart  a  feeling  of  content- 
ment, but  also  had  a  reflex  action  on  his  outer  life,  and, 
although  he  was  uniformly  affable  in  his  manner,  his  com- 
rades found  him  livelier  and  more  genial  than  usual,  and 
noticed  with  pleasure  his  increased  cheerfulness  and 
sociability. 

Those  halcyon  days  were  of  short  duration  and  consti- 
tuted merely  an  interlude  in  Ashton's  soldier  life — a  calm 
before  the  impending  storm — for,  as  before  mentioned,  a 
great  military  movement  was  imminent,  and  soon  Stuart's 
entire  division  of  cavalry  was  concentrated  in  Culpeper 
count3%  where  the  bulk  of  General  Lee's  army  was  assem- 
bling preparatory  to  the  invasion  of  Pennsylvania. 


JOHN  ASHTON.  139 


CHAPTER  XL 

On  Sunday,  June  7th,  1863,  there  was  a  grand  review 
of  the  cavalry  by  General  Lee,  and  as  they  passed  in  mar- 
tial array  before  the  noble  commander-in-chief,  the  sight 
thereby  presented  was  extremely  imposing.  The  review  of 
each  regiment  closed  with  a  charge,  at  full  speed,  against 
imaginary  foes,  and  this  mimic  warfare  with  its  accompa- 
niments of  clattering  hoof-strokes,  flaunting  banners,  flash- 
ing sabres,  and  the  inevitable  "Rebel  yell,"  gave  the 
beholder  some  idea  of  what  could  be  accomplished  by  those 
gallant  troopers  when  engaged  in  real  battle.  They  did 
not,  at  the  time,  suspect  that  in  less  than  forty-eight  hours 
they  would  thus  be  riding  against  real  foes  amidst  the  din 
and  dangers  of  actual  conflict,  and  returned  to  camp  that 
evening  in  merry  mood,  thinking  only  of  the  gala  day  which 
had  just  closed. 

The  several  brigades  of  General  Stuart's  division  spent 
the  following  day  in  their  respective  encampments  in  a 
quiet  and  uneventful  manner.  But  about  5  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  June  9th,  a  large  Federal  force,  under  General 
Buford,  drove  in  the  pickets  of  General  W.  E.Jones'  brigade 
at  Beverly's  Ford  and  crossed  the  Rappahannock  at  that 
point,  and  shortly  thereafter  the  remainder  of  General 
Pleasanton's  command,  under  General  Gregg,  began  to 
cross  the  river  at  Kelly's  Ford.  General  Jones  promptly 
went  with  his  brigade  to  the  support  of  his  pickets,  and  at 
the  same  time  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee  moved  his  brigade 
toward  Beverly's  Ford.  General  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade 
moved  in  the  same  direction.  General  Hampton's 
brigade  moved  forward  toward  a  central  position  between 
the  roads  leading  to  Beverly's  and  Kelly's  Fords,  and  Gen- 
eral Robertson's  brigade  advanced  on  General  Hampton's 
right  toward  Kelly's  Ford.  Jones' brigade  soon  became  hotly 
engaged  with  the  Federal  cavalry  and  infantry  that  was 
advancing  through  the  woods  along  the  Beverly's  Ford 
road,  and  being  assisted  by  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  brigade  on  the 
left  and   sharpshooters   from    Hampton's   brigade   on   the 


140  JOHN  ASHTON. 

right,  the   Confederates  succeeded   in  temporarily  checking 
the  advance  of  the  Federals  at  this  point. 

In  a  short  time  the  entire  Federal  force  had  crossed  the 
river,  and  General  Gregg's  division  of  cavalry,  with  severa 
batteries  of  artillery  and  three  regiments  of  infantry, 
advanced  from  Kelly's  Ford  toward  Fleetwood  Heights. 
General  Stuart,  with  a  view  to  making  a  stand  on  these 
heights,  moved  forward  to  occupy  them.  Two  regiments 
of  Jones'  brigade  led  the  advance  and  reached  the  heights 
about  fifty  yards  ahead  of  the  Federals,  and  then  ensued  a 
long  and  hot  contest  for  the  possession  of  the  heights. 
The  foremost  Federal  force  was  driven  back  by  the  12th 
Virginia  cavalry  under  Colonel  A.  W.  Harman,  but  this 
regiment  was  in  turn  driven  back  by  the  Federal  reserves, 
and  in  retiring  deranged  the  ranks  of  White's  battalion, 
which  was  advancing  to  charge,  however,  the  charge  was 
made  by  Colonel  E.  V.  White  in  a  gallant  and  vigorous 
manner,  and  his  battalion  broke  the  advance  of  the  Fed- 
erals and  reached  their  artillery,  but  they  greatly  outnum- 
bered his  small  force,  and  the  6th  Virginia  cavalry,  under 
Major  C.  E,  Flournoy,  was  sent  to  his  assistance.  This 
regiment  also  reached  the  Federal  battery  but  was  unable 
to  hold  it. 

At  this  critical  period  in  the  engagement,  the  gallant 
Cobb's  Legion  under  Colonel  P.  M.  B.  Young,  being 
directed  by  General  Hampton  to  charge,  came  up  the 
steep  hill  at  full  speed  in  obedience  to  the  ringing  bugle- 
notes  that  had  sounded  the  charge,  brandishing  their 
gleaming  sabres  and  shouting  the  wild  Confederate  yell. 
Rapidly  nearing  their  foes,  they  soon  struck  the  flank  of 
the  Federals  with  the  force  of  a  catapult  and  swept 
them  entirely  from  the  hill  in  a  perfect  rout.  At  the 
same  time,  the  1st  North  Carolina  cavalry,  under  Colonel 
L.  S.  Baker,  supported  by  the  Jeif  Davis  Legion,  under 
Lieutenant-colonel  J.  F.  Waring,  swept  around  Colonel 
Young's  left  and  made  several  dashing  and  successful 
charges,  driving  the  Federals  back  each  time.  Colonel  L.  L. 
Lomax  with  the  11th  Virginia  cavalry  charged  directly 
over  the  crest  of  the  hill,  captured  three  pieces  of  artiller3^ 
with  their  cannoneers,  pushed   forward  to  Brandy  Station, 


JOHN  ASIITON.  141 

routed  the  Federals  there  and  drove  them  back  toward 
Kelly's  Ford, 

The  charge  made  b}'  Colonel  Young  with  Cobb's  Legion 
turned  the  scale  of  battle  in  favor  of  the  Confederates,  as 
by  means  of  it  the  Federals  were  routed  and  driven  from 
Fleetwood  Hill;  the  Federal  artillery  subsequently  captured 
by  Colonel  Lomax,  was  prevented  from  reaching  the  top 
of  the  hill,  and  the  Federal  forces  were  so  disordered  as  to 
render  the  work  of  routing  them  much  easier  to  the  other 
regiments  that  subsequent)}'  attacked  them. 

Just  after  the  Federals  had  been  driven  back  toward  Kelly's 
Ford,  a  large  force  of  Federal  cavalry  with  infantry  and 
artillery  rapidly  advanced  from  the  direction  of  St.  James 
church  on  the  Beverly's  Ford  road  and  threatened  an  im- 
mediate attack  on  Fleetwood  Hill.  Jones'  brigade  was 
posted  behind  Fleetwood  with  artillery  on  the  heights,  and 
his  sharpshooters  were  engaged  with  the  Federal  infantry 
on  his  left. 

Hampton's  brigade  was  in  position  on  Jones' right,  and 
W.  H.  F.  Lee's  brigade  was  on  Jones'  left  and  confronted 
by  Buford's  division  which,  as  before  stated,  had  crossed 
the  river  at  Beverly's  Ford  and  had  been  temporarily 
checked  early  in  the  engagement  b_v  the  brigades  of  Jones 
and  \V.  H.  F.  Lee  and  Hampton's  sharpshooters.  General 
W.  H.  F.  Lee  attacked  the  Federals  in  a  series  of  gallant 
and  vigorous  charges  with  his  respective  regiments,  rout- 
ing them  each  time,  but,  on  account  of  their  superior  num- 
bers, had  to  fall  back  to  re-form  his  ranks.  In  one  of  these 
charges,  he  received  a  severe  wound  in  the  leg  which 
unfitted  him  for  duty  for  some  time. 

At  this  point,  the  9th  Virginia  cavalry  made  several  dash- 
ing charges,  driving  the  Federals  back  to  the  cover  of  the 
woods  behind  them,  where  they  were  protected  by  their 
infantry  supports. 

Ashton  was  in  each  of  these  charges  and,  as  usual,  used 
his  sabre  well.  While  engaged  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight  with 
two  Federal  troopers,  he  w^as  slightly  wounded  by  a  sabre- 
stroke  from  one  of  them  and  his  position  became  decidedly 
critical.  Just  at  this  moment,  one  of  his  comrades  came  to 
his  assistance  and  shot  one  of  his  antagonists.     Being  thus 


142  JOEN  ASHTON. 

placed  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  other,  Ashton  soon 
unhorsed  him  bj  a  vigorous  and  well-directed  stroke  of  his 
sabre,  and  was  thus  extricated  from  his  perilous  position. 
At  this  time,  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade,  under  Colonel  Thomas 
T,  Munford,  came  up  and  attacked  the  Federals  in  the 
flank.  They  at  once  began  to  retreat  and  were  soon  driven 
across  the  river  at  Beverly's  Ford. 

Thus  closed  the  most  extensive  and  hotly  contested 
cavalry  light  of  the  war,  and  the  brilliancy  of  the  victory 
won  by  the  Confederates  was  enhanced  by  reason  of  the 
superior  numbers  of  the  Federal  cavalry  and  their  large 
infantry  supports.  The  Confederate  forces  consisted  of 
four  brigades  of  cavalry,  composed  of  twenty-one  regi- 
ments and  five  batteries  of  artillery — Robertson's  brigade 
of  cavalry  (two  regiments)  not  being  engaged  in  the  fight. 
According  to  the  report  of  General  A.  Pleasanton,  who  com- 
manded the  expedition,  the  Federal  forces  consisted  of 
seven  brigades  of  cavalry,  composed  of  twenty-four  regi- 
ments and  Orton's  company  of  the  District  of  Columbia, 
two  brigades  of  infantry,  composed  of  eight  regiments,  and 
six  batteries  of  artillery. 

His  report  shows  that  his  total  effective  force  of  cavalry 
and  infantry  was  ten  thousand  nine  hundred  and  eighty- 
one,  consisting  of  seven  thousand  nine  hundred  and  eighty- 
one  cavalry  and  three  thousand  infantry.  No  report 
having  been  given  by  General  Stuart  as  to  the  strength  of 
his  division,  we  are  unable  to  state  the  number  of  the 
Confederate  forces  engaged  in  the  battle,  but  it  was  several 
thousand  less  than  that  of  the  Federals.  The  official 
reports  of  the  casualties  on  both  sides  show  that  the  Con- 
federate loss,  in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  wasfour  hun- 
dred and  eighty-five  and  that  of  the  Federals  was  nine 
hundred  and  thirty-six.  It  would  seem,  however,  from  a 
report  made  by  General  Pleasanton  as  to  the  strength  of  his 
forces  just  two  da3^s  afterward,  that  the  Federal  loss  was 
even  greater  than  reported.  The  following  is  an  extract 
from  the  report: 

"Cavalry  and  artillery  present  on  review,  Warrenton 
Junction,  June  11th,  four  thousand  nine  hundred  and  seven- 
ty-three; absent  on  scout  and  picket,  one  thousand  six  hun- 


JOHN  ASHTON.  143 

dred  and  eighty;  total  effective  strength  of    cavalry,    June 
11th,  six  thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty-three." 

This  shows  that  the  total  effective  strength  of  the  Federal 
cavalry  was  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  twenty-eight 
less  on  June  11th  than  when  it  entered  the  fight  two  days 
before.  In  the  engagement  the  Confederates,  in  addition 
to  taking  several  hundred  prisoners,  captured  a  number  of 
horses,  three  pieces  of  artillery,  four  hundred  and  twenty- 
one  carbines,  rifles  and  pistols,  one  hundred  and  fifty-five 
sabres,  and  six  battle-flags. 

The  Federals  obtained  no  definite  information  in  regard 
to  General  Lee's  movements,  and  hence  their  reconnoissance 
was  not  only  practically  useless  but  caused  them  to  be 
severely  punished  for  their  temerity  in  making  it.  How- 
ever, it  revealed  to  General  Hooker  the  presence,  in  Culpeper 
county,  of  a  larger  force  than  he  had  supposed  was  there, 
and  hence,  on  June  11th,  he  moved  the  3d  corps  of  his  army 
to  Rappahannock  Station  and  Beverly's  Ford,  and  posted 
his  cavalry  along  the  upper  waters  of  the  Rappahannock 
river.  He  was  still  ignorant  as  to  General  Lee's  object,  and 
supposed  that  his  movements  were  being  directed  against 
his  communications  with  Washington.  Having  completely 
puzzled  Hooker  as  to  his  object.  General  Lee  put  his  army 
in  motion  for  Pennsylvania,  General  Ewell  taking  the 
advance  with  his  corps  and  leaving  Culpeper  Court-house 
on  June  10th.  By  June  14th,  General  Ewell  had  captured 
Berryville,  Winchester,  and  Martinsburg,  with  several 
thousand  prisoners.  General  Hooker,  having  received  news 
of  General  Ewell'smovementsin  the  Valley,  became  satisfied 
that  he  had  been  deceived  by  General  Lee,  and  on  the  night 
of  June  13th  had  Sedgwick's  corps  to  recross  the  Rappa- 
hannock from  its  position  below  Fredericksburg,  and  the 
next  day  his  entire  army  was  withdrawn  from  the  line  of 
that  river  and  marched  toward  Manassas. 

General  Lee  at  once  ordered  A.  P.  Hill's  corps  from  F'red- 
ericksburg  to  the  Valley,  and  in  order  to  conceal  its  march 
and  draw  General  Hooker  still  farther  away  from  Wash- 
ington, Longstreet's  corps  left  Culpeper  Court-house  on 
June  15th,  passing  along  the  east  side  of  the  Blue  Ridge, 
and  occupied  Ashby's  and    Snicker's   Gaps,  thus  cutting    off 


144  JOHN  ASlirON. 

Hooker's  means  of  communication  with   that  part   of  the 
Valley  over  which  A.  P.  Hill    was  to   march.     In  this    way 
General    Hooker    was      drawn     away    from    Washington 
toward  the  mountains,  and  A.  P.Hill  soon  crossed  the   Blue 
Ridge  and  took  position  at  Winchester.     By  means  of  these 
strategic  movements,  General  Lee  had,  in  a  masterly  manner 
and  in  a  few   days,  drawn  General   Hooker  away  from  the 
Rappahannock  to  the  Upper  Potomac  and  placed  the  three 
corps  of  his  army  in  strong  positions  within  supporting  dis- 
tance of   each  other,  and  from  w^hich  they  could  begin  their 
march  into  Pennsylvania  without  the  risk  of  interference  or 
attack  by  General  Hooker.    As  General  Lee  had  succeeded  in 
placing  his  army  in  position  for  its  advance  into  Pennsylva- 
nia, it  was  now  necessary  to  conceal  and   protect   the  for- 
ward movement  as  long  as   possible;  and  hence  he  directed 
General  Stuart  to   leave   a  sufficient  force    on    the  Rappa- 
hannock to  watch  General  Hooker  and  move  the  main  body 
of  his  cavalry  parallel  to  the  Blue  Ridge  and  on  Longstreet's 
right  flank,  who  was  to  move  near  the   base  of   the  moun- 
tains through  Fauquier  and  Loudoun  counties.     As  soon  as 
the  Federal  army  should   enter   Maryland,    General   Stuart 
was  to  cross  the  Potomac,  moving  either  east  or  west  of  the 
Blue  Ridge   as  he  thought  best,    and  take   his  position   on 
the  right  of   the  Confederate    army  in   its  forward   move- 
ment.    In  consequence  of  these   directions.  General  Steuart 
placed  Hampton's  and  Jones'  brigades  in  observation  along 
the  Rappahannock  and  Hazel  rivers,  with   instructions    for 
them  to  follow  the  main  body  of  his  command  as  soon  as 
Hill's  corps  had    passed  that   point,  and  on   June  15th    he 
directed  Fitzhu^h  Lee's  brigade  to  cross  the  Rappahannock 
at  Rockford  and  take  the  advance  of  Longstreet's  corps  by 
way  of  Barbeer's  Crossroads,  and   started  W.  H.  F.  Lee's 
and  Robertson's  brigades  to  cross  lower  down  the  river  at 
Hinson's  Mills.    The  movement   thus    begun  resulted   in  a 
series  of  hotly  contested  engagements  between  the   Confed- 
erate and  Federal  cavalry  in  which  our  hero  took  an  active 
part;  and  hence,  its  progress  may  prove  of  interest  to  the 

reader. 

Ashton's  wound  being  a  slight  one,  he  was  ready  for  duty 
in  a  day  two   after  he   received   it,  and  marched   with  his 


JOHN  ASIITON.  145 

regiment  when  it  left  camp  on  June  15th.  As  the  Federals 
had  retired  to  Centerville,  General  Stuart  proceeded  with- 
out interruption  to  within  a  few  miles  of  Salem,  and  there 
bivouacked  for  the  night.  On  June  17th,  Fitzhugh  Lee's 
brigade  moved  toward  Aldie  for  the  purpose  of  holding  the 
gap  in  Bull  Run  Mountain  in  order  to  conceal  Longstreet's 
movements.  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  brigade  was  kept  near  the 
plains  to  reconnoitre  Thoroughfare  Gap,  and  Robertson's 
brigade  was  halted  near  Rectortown,  within  supporting  dis- 
tance of  the  other  two  brigades.  When  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brig- 
ade arrived  within  a  short  distance  of  Dover,  it  was  halted 
and  pickets  were  sent  forward  to  the  Aldie  Gap.  These 
pickets  were  soon  attacked  by  Federal  cavalry  advancing 
from  the  direction  of  Fairfax,  and  driven  back  on  the  brig- 
ade, which  took  position  west  of  Aldie.  At  the  same  time 
that  this  attack  was  made,  General  Stuart,  who  was  at 
Middleburg,  received  information  that  the  Federals  were 
advancing  on  Middleburg  from  the  direction  of  Hopewell. 
He  had  only  his  staff  and  a  few  pickets  with  him,  and  re- 
tired toward  Rector's  Crossroads,  sending  orders  to  Colonel 
Thomas  T.  Munford,  commanding  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade, 
to  watch  the  road  to  Aliddleburg,  and  also  sent  orders  for 
General  Robertson  to  march  at  once  for  Middleburg,  and 
Colonel  John  R.  Chambliss,  commanding  W.  H.  F.  Lee's 
brigade,  to  take  the  Salem  road  to  the  same  place.  The 
attack  that  was  made  on  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade  near 
Aldie  resulted  in  a  desperate  and  bloody  engagement  in 
which  the  Federals  were  repulsed  with  loss,  the  Confed- 
erates holding  their  position  until  General  Stuart's  dispatch 
to  Colonel  Munford  rendered  it  necessary  for  him  to  retire 
on  account  of  the  threatened  attaclc  from  the  Federal  force 
at  Middleburg.  The  Federals  had  been  so  thoroughh^  pun- 
ished that  they  did  not  attempt  to  follow  Munford.  Gen- 
eral Robertson  arrived  at  Middleburg  about  dark  and  was 
at  once  ordered  to  attack  the  Federals.  This  he  did,  and 
with  his  two  regiments  drove  them  out  of  the  place  and 
pursued  them  for  several  miles  on  the  Hopewell  road. 
Colonel  Chambliss,  approaching  Middleburg  from  that  di- 
rection with  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  brigade,  intercepted  the  fleeing 
Federals  and  captured  the  greater   part   of    one    regiment. 


U6  JOUN  AsnroN. 

General  Stuart  occupied  Middleburg  that  night,  and  on  June 
18th  took  position  around  the  place  with  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  and 
Robertson's  brigades,  while  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade  took 
position  at  Union,  on  General  Stewart's  left.  The  Federals 
soon  made  such  advances  on  General  Stewart's  left  that  he 
thought  it  necessary  to  leave  Middleburg,  and  did  so,  keep- 
ing out  pickets  near  to  the  enemy.  As  Hampton's  and 
Jones'  brigades  had  not  yet  arrived,  Stuart  did  not  wish 
a  general  engagement,  and  devoted  his  attention  to  procur- 
ing information  of  the  movements  of  the  Federals  through 
scouts  and  reconnoitering  parties.  In  one  of  these  expe- 
ditions, our  old  friend  Mosby,  whose  gallant  achievements 
had  won  for  him  the  rank  of  major  about  three  montlis 
before,  with  his  accustomed  daring,  penetrated  the  Federal 
lines  and  captured  Major  Stirling,  of  General  Hooker's 
staff,  bearing  dispatches  from  the  latter  to  General 
Pleasanton  at  Aldie.  The  dispatches  disclosed  the  fact 
that  Hooker  was  greatly  concerned  about  Aldie;  that 
Pleasanton  occupied  the  place  with  both  cavalry  and  in- 
fantry, and  that  a  reconnoissance  in  considerable  force  was 
contemplated  in  the  direction  of  Warrenton  and  Culpe])er 
Court-house.  General  Stuart  at  once  dispatched  this  infor- 
mation to  General  Hampton,  who  was  coming  by  wa3''  of 
Warrenton  from  the  direction  of  Beverly's  Ford,  and  di- 
rected him  to  meet  this  advance  at  Warrenton.  General 
Hampton  did  this  and  easily  drove  back  the  Federals,  but 
was  prevented  from  pursuing  them  in  consequence  of  the 
approach  of  night  and  a  heav3^  storm,  under  cover  of  which 
they  retreated.  On  the  morning  of  June  19th  the  Confed- 
erate pickets  beyond  Middleburg  were  driven  in  on  Robert- 
son's and  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  bi'igades,  which  were  posted  to  the 
west  of  the  town,pnd  the  Federals  advanced  with  a  large 
force  of  cavalry  and  dismounted  men  deployed  as  infantry. 
The  force  consisted  of  three  brigades,  composed  of  twelve 
regiments,  under  General  D.  McM.  Gregg,  and  greatly  out- 
numbered the  two  Confederate  brigades,  which  contained 
only  six  regiments.  The  Federal  attack  was  met  in  a 
spirited  and  determined  manner,  but  they  finally  obtained 
possession  of  a  piece  of  woods  in  front  of  the  Confederate 
line,  and  although  the  Confederates  met  and  repelled  every 


JOHN  ASHTON.  147 

effort  of  the  enemy  to  advance  from  this  position,  vet 
whenever  they  charged  the  Federals,  they  were  subjected  to 
a  heavy  carbine  fire  from  these  woods,  and  also  a  furious 
fire  from  the  Federal  artillery  beyond.  General  Stuart, 
therefore,  withdrew  his  command  to  a  more  advantageous 
position  about  a  half  mile  farther  back  and  waited  a  re- 
newal of  the  attack,  but  the  Federals  did  not  again  attack 
him  that  day. 

On  the  evening  of  that  day  Jones'  brigade  arrived  and 
was  posted  near  Union,  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade  being  still 
farther  to  the  left,  watching  Snicker's  Gap  and  the  Snickers- 
ville  pike.  General  Hampton's  brigade  arrived  on  June  20th, 
but  too  late  for  General  Stuart  to  attack  the  Federals 
that  day.  There  was  continuous  skirmishing  on  the  left 
beyond  Goose  Creek,  and  the  5th  Virginia  cavalry,  under 
Colonel  Rosser,  drove  the  Federals  across  the  stream  in  a 
brilliant  manner.  Having  been  reinforced  by  Jones'  and 
Hampton's  brigades.  General  Stuart  was  anxious  to 
attack  the  Federals  as  soon  as  possible,  but  the  next  day 
(June  21st)  being  Sunday,  he  decided  to  suspend  hostihties 
and  devote  the  day  to  rest.  The  Federals,  however, 
showed  no  regard  for  its  sanctity,  and  about  8  o'clock  that 
morning  they  renewed  the  attack. 

General  Pleasanton  had,  the  day  before,  learned  from  a 
captured  infantryman  of  Longstreet's  corps  that  Long- 
street  had  passed  through  Ashb;y's  Gap  into  the  Shen- 
andoah Valley  on  June  19th,  and  that  only  Stuart's 
division  of  cavalry  was  east  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  In  conse- 
quence of  this  information,  he  sent  a  dispatch  to  General 
Hooker  requesting  permission  to  take  his  entire  corps  and 
attack  Stuart  the  next  morning  (June  21st),  and  also 
asked  for  a  division  of  infantry  to  aid  him  in  the  move- 
ment. Both  requests  were  granted,  and  General  James 
Barnes'  division,  consisting  of  three  brigades  of  infantry 
with  one  battery,  reinforced  General  Pleasanton's  corps 
at  3  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  June  21st.  General  Pleas- 
anton advanced  with  his  entire  corps  and  one  brigade  of 
infantry,  the  latter  being  on  the  left  of  Gregg's  column  of 
cavalry,  on  the  Ashby  Gap  road. 


148  JOHN  ASIITON. 

General  Stuart  sent  forward  the  brigades  of  Hampton 
and  Robertson,  and  they  occupied  a  strong  position  which 
they  could  easily  have  held  against  a  force  of  equal  size 
with  their  own,  or  against  cavalry  alone;  but  although 
they  repulsed  the  attack  of  the  Federals  and  gallantly 
maintained  their  position  for  a  long  time,  the  Federal 
cavalry  greatly  outnumbering  them  and  being  aided  in  the 
attack  by  a  brigade  of  infantry  which  moved  around  on 
their  right  flank,  it  became  necessary  for  them  to  retire 
from  that  position.  Hence,  General  Stuart  directed  General 
Hampton  to  withdraw  to  the  next  height  in  rear  of  him  as 
soon  as  his  position  should  be  hard  pressed,  and  ordered 
Colonel  Chambhss  and  General  Jones  to  resist  the  Federals 
as  far  as  possible  and  for  the  latter  to  connect  with  Hamp- 
ton's left  and,  retiring  with  the  main  body,efl'ect  a  junction 
with  it  at  Upperville,  where  Stuart  contemplated  a  more 
determined  stand  than  could  be  made  with  his  forces  sep- 
arated as  they  then  were,  the  several  brigades  of  his  divis- 
ion being  from  four  to  six  miles  apart. 

While  retiring  from  the  first  position  before  Middleburg, 
one  of  the  pieces  of  Captain  J.  F.  Hart's  battery  of  horse- 
artillery  had  the  axle  broken  by  a  shot  from  a  Federal  gun 
and  had  to  be  abandoned,  and  in  referring  to  the  matter  in 
his  official  report.  General  Stuart  said  :  "It  is  the  first  piece 
of  my  horse-artillery  that  has  ever  fallen  into  the  enemy's 
hands.  Its  full  value  was  paid  in  the  slaughter  it  made  in 
the  enem3?'s   ranks,  and   it  was   well  sold." 

The  next  stand  made  by  General  Stuart  was  on  the 
west  bank  of  Goose  Creek,  and  although  his  two  brigades 
were  again  attacked  by  a  superior  force  of  Federal  cavalry 
and  the  brigade  of  infantry,  he  repulsed  the  attack  with 
considerable  slaughter,  checked  them  for  awhile  and  then 
withdrew  his  command  in  plain  view  of  them  and  under 
the  fire  of  their  guns.  In  the  meantime,  the  brigades  of 
Jones  and  W.  H.  F.  Lee  had  become  hotly  engaged  with 
another  heavy  column  of  Federals,  and  were  gradually 
retiring  toward  Upperville,  and  before  they  reached  that 
place,  the  enemy  had  passed  up  so  close  as  to  render  it 
hazardous  for  these  brigades  to  attempt  a  junction  there, 
and  also  made  it  necessary  for  Hampton's  and  Robertson's 


JOHN  ASHTON.  149 

brigades  to  move  out  immediately  to  the  west  of  Upperville 
to  avoid  being  flanked  by  the  Federals  through  the  medium 
of  the  various  roads  converging  at  that  place.  On 
account  of  the  women  and  children  in  the  place,  the  Con- 
federates were  anxious  to  avoid  a  conflict  in  the  village, 
but  the  Federals,  reckless  of  the  injury  that  might  be  done 
to  these  helpless  persons,  and  seemingly  taking  advantage 
of  this  disinclination  of  the  Confederates  to  fight  there,  made 
a  furious  attack  on  the  rear  guard.  In  an  instant  a  part 
of  General  Hampton's  brigade,  led  by  its  peerless  comman- 
der, wheeled  about  and  charged  the  Federals  with  their 
accustomed  dash  and  bravery,  and  drove  them  back  in  the 
greatest  confusion,  killing,  wounding,  and  capturing  a 
great  many  of  their  number.  After  this  repulse.  General 
Stuart  leisurely  retired  to  the  mountain  gap  west  of 
Upperville  and  took  position  to  dispute  any  further 
advance  of  the  Federals.  They  made  no  attack,  and  went 
into  camp  at  Upperville  that  night.  The  next  morning 
they  retired  and  were  pursued  to  within  a  short  distance  of 
Aldie,  a  number  of  them  being  captured.  General  Stuart 
resumed  his  position  at  Rector's  Crossroads  and  remained 
there  until  June  24th.  In  his  official  reports  of  the  several 
engagements  at  Aldie,  Middleburg,  and  Upperville,  from 
June  17th  to  June  22d,  General  Pleasanton  was  quite 
boastful  as  to  the  achievements  of  the  Federals,  claiming 
in  substance,  that  they  had  defeated  the  Confederates  in 
every  engagement  with  heavy  loss  to  the  latter,  as  com- 
pared with  that  of  his  own  troops.  This  claim  was  made 
during  the  excitement  incident  to  his  surroundings  and 
before  he  had  obtained  full  and  reliable  information  as  to 
the  casualties  among  his  own  and  the  Confederate  troops ; 
for  the  official  tabulated  returns  of  these  losses  show  that 
in  those  engagements,  the  Federal  loss  was  eighty-three 
killed,  three  hundred  and  twenty-eight  wounded  and  four 
hundred  and  sixty-seven  captured  or  missing*  and  the  Con- 
federate loss  was  fifty-six  killed,  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
nine  wounded,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty-six  captured  or 
missing.  Moreover,  the  Confederates  were  not  "defeated" 
at  all  in  the  proper  sense  of  that  word,  for  while  it  became 
necessarj'  for  General  Stuart  to   retire  three  or  four  miles 


150  JOHN  ASH  TON. 

in  order  to  get  together  his  widelj^  separated  brigades,  this 
was  done  in  good  order  in  the  face  of  largely  superior 
forces,  and  when  he  had  thus  concentrated  his  forces,  the 
Federals  failed  to  attack  him  and  retreated,  leaving  him 
master  of  the  situation,  as  he  was  still  in  possession  of  the 
mountain  gaps  and  the  section  of  country  which  he  had 
been  protecting  in  order  to  screen  Longstreet's  movements. 
On  the  night  of  June  24th,  General  Stuart  left  Robert- 
son's and  Jones'  brigades  to  watch  the  Federals,  and  with 
the  brigades  of  Hampton,  Fitzhugh  Lee  and  W.  H.  F. 
Lee,  moved  out  from  near  Salem  Depot  on  his  march  to  the 
Potomac.  His  first  objective  point  on  the  route  was 
Dranesville,  and  in  order  to  reach  that  place  it  was 
necessary  for  him  to  pass  through  Bull  Run  Mountains. 
Learning  that  General  Hancock's  corps  occupied  Thorough- 
fare Gap,  General  Stuart  moved  with  his  command  to 
the  right  of  that  point  and  succeeded  in  passing  through 
Glasscock's  Gap  and  marched  toward  Haymarket.  As 
they  neared  that  place  they  found  that  Hancock's,  corps 
was  passing  through  there  toward  Gum  Spring,  and  Gen- 
eral Stuart  opened  on  his  moving  column  with  artillery, 
doing  considerable  damage  to  his  train  and  disabling  one 
of  his  caissons,  which  was  abandoned.  Sending  a  dispatch 
to  General  Lee  informing  him  of  General  Hancock's  move- 
ments, General  Stuart  retired  to  Buckland  in  order  to  de- 
ceive the  Federals  as  to  his  own  movements.  He  had  at  first 
contemplated  passing  west  of  Centerville,  but  the  presence 
of  the  Federals  in  that  quarter  caused  him  to  decide  to 
cross  the  Bull  Run  lower  down  and  march  through  Fairfax 
for  the  Potomac.  On  the  next  day  he  marched  through 
Brentsville  to  the  vicinity  of  Wolf  Run  Shoals  on  the 
Occoquan,  where  he  halted  for  the  purpose  of  grazing  his 
horses.  On  the  following  day  (June 27th),  he  marched  for 
Fairfax  Station,  sending  General  Fitzhugh  Lee  with  his 
brigade  by  Burke's  Station  with  instructions  to  rejoin  the 
main  command  at  Fairfax  Court-house,  or  farther  on  if 
circumstances  should  so  require. 

Near  Fairfax  Station,  General  Hampton's  front  regiment, 
the  1st  North  Carolina,  charged  a  detachment  of  Federal 
cavalry  called  "Scott's  Nine  Hundred,"  and  killed,  wounded, 


JOHN  ASHTON.  151 

and  captured  the  greater  part  of  them.  On  reaching  Fair- 
fax Court-house  and  receiving  a  communication  from  Gen- 
eral Fitzhugh  Lee,  General  Stuart  became  satisfied  that  the 
main  body  of  the  Federal  army  had  moved  tov^ard  Lees- 
burg,  and  that  the  remainder  had  retired  to  the  fortifica- 
tions of  Washington,  and  hence  that  the  chances  were 
favorable  for  his  march  to  the  Potomac  between  the  rear 
of  the  Federal  army  and  Washington.  Reaching  Dranes- 
ville  late  that  afternoon,  General  Stuart  ordered  Hamp- 
ton's brigade  to  march  at  once  to  Rowser's  Ford  on  the 
Potomac,  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  brigade  remaining  at  Dranesville 
to  await  the  arrival  of  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade.  Hampton's 
brigade  crossed  the  Potomac  early  that  night,  but 
reported  to  General  Stuart  that  it  would  be  impossible 
for  his  artillery  to  cross  at  that  ford,  and  this  opinion  was 
also  expressed  by  several  citizens  of  the  vicinity.  However 
General  Stuart,  with  his  accustomed  sanguine  disregard 
for  opposing  difficulties  and  dangers,  decided  to  make  an 
effort  to  cross  his  artillery  at  that  point,  and  before  12 
o'clock  that  night,  by  indomitable  energy  and  perseverance, 
in  the  face  of  seemingly  insurmountable  obstacles,  every  gun 
was  carried  safely  over  the  river  and  the  entire  command, 
bivouacked  on  the  Maryland  side  of  the  stream. 

A  lock-gate  in  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Canal  was  soon 
broken,  and  steps  were  taken  to  intercept  boats.  About  a 
dozen  were  intercepted,  and  the  following  morning  several 
boats  loaded  with  negro  troops  and  army  stores  were  cap- 
tured by  the  rear  guard  of  Stuart's  command.  Realizing 
the  importance  of  joining  the  Confederate  army  in  Penn- 
sylvania as  soon  as  possible,  General  Stuart  resumed  his 
march  northward  early  on  the  morning  of  June  28th,  send- 
ing Hampton's  brigadeby  way  of  Dranestown  to  Rockville, 
while  he,  with  the  two  other  brigades,  took  the  direct  route 
to  the  same  place.  General  Hampton  reached  Rockville  in 
advance  of  the  main  body,  having  captured  several  small 
parties  of  Federals  and  a  number  of  wagons  and  teams  on 
the  route.  While  the  main  body  of  the  command  was  on 
the  way  to  Rockville,  the  advance  guard  of  W.  H.  F.  Lee's 
brigade,  in  which  Ashton  happened  to  be  at  the  time,  had  a 
running  fight  with  the New  York  cavalry,  whose  picket, 


152  JOHN  ASH  TON. 

as  the  reader  will  remember,  captured  Ashton  near  Fox's 
Ford  on  the  Rappahannock  the  preceding  November  and 
was  in  turn  captured  by  Mosbv.  The  horses  of  the  Con- 
federates were  in  bad  condition  and  greatly  jaded,  while 
those  of  the  Federals  were  fresh  and  in  good  condition,  and 
hence  the  latter  soon  distanced  the  former  and  bore  their 
riders  beyond  the  reach  of  their  pursuers.  Ashton  was  still 
riding  the  corporal's  horse  which  Mosby  had  given  him, 
and  the  result  of  the  chase  brought  vividly  before  his  mind 
the  unfavorable  contrast  between  his  horse's  condition  and 
speed  then,  and  what  they  were  when  its  former  owner  was 
captured  by  Mosby. 

There  was  a  Federal  force  at  Rockville,  but  they  retreated 
on  the  approach  of  the  Confederates,  and  General  Stuart 
immediately  took  possession  of  the  town.  Soon  after  he 
had  occupied  the  place,  a  long  train  of  wagons  approached 
from  the  direction  of  Washington,  and,  although  those  in 
charge  of  them  made  a  desperate  effort  to  escape  with  the 
w^agons,  every  one  of  them  was  captured.  There  were  more 
than  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  wagons  and  teams  and 
the  hindmost  wagon  was  within  four  miles  of  Washing- 
ton, the  train  being  eight  miles  long.  Under  some  circum- 
stances this  capture  would  have  been  not  only  valuable 
but  also  a  fortunate  one,  but  the  time  and  labor  subse- 
quently devoted  to  the  safe  conduct  of  the  train,  as  well  as 
its  presence  with  his  command,  retarded  General  Stuart's 
movements  and  rendered  his  operations  less  successful  than 
they  would  otherwise  have  been.  Having  paroled  about 
four  hundred  prisoners  at  Brook ville.  General  Stuart 
pushed  forward  that  night  to  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  rail- 
road, and  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade  readied  the  railroad 
about  daylight  the  next  morning.  The  bridge  at  Sikesville 
was  burned,  and  the  track  torn  up  at  Hood's  Mills.  That 
afternoon  the  head  of  the  column  reached  Westminster  and 
had  a  skirmish  with  a  squadron  of  the  1st  Delaware  cavalry, 
in  which  Lieutenants  Pierce  Gibson  and  John  W.  Murray, 
of  the  4th  Virginia  cavalry,  were  killed.  Although  they  had 
fallen  in  a  strange  land,  it  was  evident  that  their  deaths 
had  occurred  in  the  midst  of  those  who  sympathized  with 
the  cause  in  defense  of  which  they  had  given  up  their  lives; 


JOHN  AS  ETON.  153 

for  some  of  the  ladies  of  the  place  requested  that  they  might 
have  the  privilege  of  superintending  the  burial  of  these 
gallant  young  soldiers.  Their  request  was  granted,  and 
these  noble  women  enjoyed  the  melancholy  pleasure  of  pay- 
ing a  loving  tribute  to  the  South,  and  honoring  her  dead, 
by  superintending  the  burial  rites  of  two  of  her  fallen 
heroes. 

On  the  following  morning  (June  30th),  General  Stuart 
marched  directly  toward  Hanover,  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  brigade 
being  in  advance,  Hampton's  brigade  in  the  rear  of  the 
wagon  train,  and  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade  on  the  left  flank. 
About  10  o'clock  a.  m.,  the  head  of  the  column  reached 
Hanover,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  attacked  by  a  large  force 
of  Federal  cavalr3^  The  9th  Virginia  cavalry  was  in 
advance  and  met  this  attack  by  a  gallant  and  vigorous 
charge,  and  not  only  repulsed  the  Federals,  but  drove  them 
in  confusion  through  the  town  and  captured  many 
prisoners.  Ashton  was  among  the  foremost  in  the  charge,  had 
several  close  encounters  with  Federal  troopers  and  unhorsed 
more  than  one  of  his  antagonists.  Moreover,  he  rendered 
his  captain  a  timely  service  which,  doubtless,  saved  his 
life;  for  while  the  latter  was  hotly  engaged  in  a  saber  con- 
test with  one  of  the  Federal  troopers,  another  Federal 
came  to  his   comrade's   assistance  and    was  in    the  act  of 

dealing   Captain    B a     blow     with     his     saber,     wlien 

Ashton  caught  the  descending  saber  on  his  own,  parried  a 
fierce  and  vigorous  thrust  made  with  it  at  himself ,  and  with 
a  rapid  and  well-directed  right  cut  cleft  the  Federal's  right 
jaw  in  twain  and  instantly  unhorsed  him.  Ashton's  con- 
duct throughout  the  fight  was  marked  by  the  greatest 
gallantry,  and  evoked  unstinted  praise  from  the  oflBcers  and 
men  of  his  company.  The  Federals  ralhed  their  forces  and, 
as  only  a  portion  of  Stuart's  command  had  arrived,  suc- 
ceeded in  regaining  the  town;  but  when  General  Hampton's 
brigade  arrived,  they  were  again  attacked  and  driven  from 
the  place.  The  Federals  did  not  retreat,  but  moved  around 
to  the  left  of  Stuart's  command  and  continued  to  press 
the  left  flank  with  dismounted  sharpshooters.  The  im- 
mense wagon  train  captured  by  the  Confederates,  and 
about  four  hundred  prisoners   who  had  beencaptui-ed  since 


154  JOHN  ASHTON. 

those  were  paroled  at  Brookville,  now  became  the  source 
of  great  embarrassment  to  General  Stuart;  but  having 
reasons  to  believe  that  the  Confederate  army  was  near  the 
Susquehanna  river,  he  thought  that  he  could  save  the  train 
by  making  a  detour  to  the  right  by  Jefit'erson,  and  hence 
put  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigade  at  the  head  of  the  column  with 
instructions  to  push  on  with  the  w^agon  train  through 
Jefferson  to  York,  and  communicate  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble with  General  Lee's  army,  and  directed  Hampton's 
brigade  to  bring  up  the  rear  of  the  column.  In  this  order 
the  command  continued  the  march  throughout  the  entire 
night,  and  it  was  exceedingly  trying  to  both  men  and 
horses  on  account  of  the  many  hardships  experienced  during 
the  past  fifteen  days  of  constant  service.  Entire  regiments 
slept  in  their  saddles,  and  in  some  instances  the  men  fell 
from  their  horses,  being  completely  overcome  by  fatigue 
and  sleepiness.  General  Stuart  reached  Dover,  Pa.,  on  the 
morning  of  July  1st,  but  could  obtain  no  deiinite  informa- 
tion as  to  the  location  of  the  Confederate  army.  In  the 
afternoon  he  arrived  at  Carlisle,  and  found  that  it  was 
occupied  by  a  considerable  force  of  Federal  militia  con- 
cealed in  the  houses  with  a  view  to  entrapping  the  Confed- 
erates upon  their  entrance  into  the  place.  General  Stuart 
did  not  wish  to  subject  the  town  to  the  injurious  conse- 
quences of  an  attack,  but  as  his  men  were  entirely  out  of 
rations  it  was  necessary  that  they  should  olitain  a  supply 
of  food,  and  hence  he  sent  in,  under  a  flag  of  truce,  a  de- 
mand for  the  unconditional  surrender  of  the  place  with  the 
alternative  of  a  bombardment  if  his  demand  should  be 
refused.  The  demand  was  refused,  and  after  placing  his 
artillery  in  position  he  repeated  the  demand.  It  was  again 
refused  and  he  was  forced  to  shell  the  town,  but  none  of 
the  buildings  except  the  United  States  cavalry  barracks 
were  burned. 

General  Stuart  was  still  uninformed  as  to  the  where- 
abouts of  General  Lee's  army,  but  during  the  night  received 
a  dispatch  from  him  stating  that  the  army  was  at  Gettys- 
burg and  had  been  engaged  that  day  with  the  advance  of 
the  Federal  army.  He  at  once  sent  an  order  to  General 
Hampton  to  march  ten  miles  that  night  toward  Gettysburg 


JOHN  ASHTON.  155 

and,  arranging  for  the  other  brigades  to  reach  there  early 
the  next  morning,  he  started  in  person  for  the  place  that 
night. 

General  Hampton  arrived  at  Gettysburg  July  2d,  just  in 
time  to  meet  and  check  a  movement  of  the  Federal  cavalry 
upon  the  rear  of  the  Confederates,  by  way  of  Hunters- 
town;  and  his  brigade,  by  a  series  of  gallant  charges, 
routed  the  Federals  and  defeated  their  purpose.  General 
.  Stuart  took  position  that  day  on  the  York  and  Heidlers- 
burg  road  on  the  left  wing  of  the  Confederate  army. 

On  the  morning  of  July  3d,  in  pursuance  of  instructions 
from  General  Lee,  he  moved  forward  to  a  position  to  the 
left  of,  and  in  advance  of  General  Ewell's  left,  where  an 
elevated  ridge  commanded  a  wide  plain  of  cultivated  fields 
between  that  point  and  the  base  of  the  mountain  spurs, 
where  the  Federals  were  posted.  His  command  had  been 
increased  by  the  addition  of  General  Jenkins'  brigade,  and 
he  moved  this  and  General  W.  H.  F,  Lee's  brigade  secretly 
through  the  woods  with  a  view  to  an  attack  on  the  rear 
of  the  Federals;  but  Hampton's  and  Fitzhugh  Lee's  bri- 
gades, which  had  been  ordered  to  follow  Stuart,  unfortu- 
nately marched  out  into  the  open  ground  and  thereby  dis- 
closed the  movement  and  caused  a  counter-movement  of 
the  Federals  to  meet  it.  Before  General  Hampton  reached 
General  Stuart,  the  Federals  deployed  a  heavy  line  of 
sharpshooters  and  advanced  toward  Stuart's  position.  In 
the  meantime,  Hampton's  and  Fitzhugh  Lee's  brigades  had 
become  hotlj  engaged  as  dismounted  skirmishers.  The  Fed- 
erals sent  forward  a  small  force  of  cavalry  and  were  about 
to  cut  off  a  part  of  the  Confederate  sharpshooters,  and 
General  Stuart  ordered  the  9th  Virginia  cavalry  to  quickly 
charge  this  cavalry  force.  The  regiment  promptly  re- 
sponded to  the  order  and  made  a  gallant  and  irresistible 
charge.  At  the  same  time  the  1st  Virginia  cavalry  made  a 
similar  charge  on  the  left ;  but  having  gone  too  far,  their 
jaded  horses  failed  under  the  prolonged  strain  upon  them, 
and  the  Federals,  perceiving  this,  turned  upon  them  with 
fresh  horses.  The  1st  North  Carolina  and  Jeft'  Davis  Legion 
were  sent  to  their  support,  and  this  hand-to-hand  fighting 
gradually  involved  the  greater  portion    of   Stuart's  com- 


156  JOHN  AS  ETON. 

mand  and  continued  until  the  Federals  were  driven  from 
the  field  with  heavy  loss,  including  many  prisoners.  Gen- 
eral Hampton,  ever  foremost  in  the  fray,  was  twice 
wounded  in  this  engagement  and  in  consequence  thereof 
had  to  leave  the  field.  During  that  night  General  Lee  with- 
drew the  main  body  of  his  army  to  the  ridges  west  of  Get- 
tysburg and  on  the  next  night  began  his  march  back  to  the 
Potomac. 

General  Stuart  having  received  from  General  Lee  instruc- 
tions as  to  the  order  of  march,  disposed  of  the  cavalry  in 
such  manner  as  to  cover  and  protect  the  flanks  of  the  retir- 
ing army.  The  brigades  of  Jenkins  and  W,  H.  F.  Lee 
under  the  immediate  command  of  General  Stuart,  pro- 
ceeded by  way  of  Emmitsburg  and  Cavetown  toward  Ha- 
gerstowm  and,  after  one  or  two  skirmishes  on  the  route, 
reached  the  latter  place  on  July  6th.  General  Stuart  found 
a  large  force  of  Federal  cavalry  in  possession  of  the  town 
and  at  once  attacked  them.  At  this  time  the  Confederate 
wagon  trains  were  at  Williamsport,  six  miles  from  Hagers- 
town,  and  were  unable  to  cross  the  Potomac  on  account  of 
the  swollen  condition  of  the  river.  Being  satisfied  that  the 
Federals  contemplated  an  attack  on  Williamsport  for  the 
purpose  of  capturing  these  trains.  General  Stuart  deter- 
mined to  defeat  their  purpose,  if  possible,  by  a  vigorous 
attack  on  them.  They  were  finally  driven  out  of  Hagers- 
town  and  at  first  took  the  road  to  Sharpsburg,  but  after- 
ward turned  into  the  one  leading  to  Williamsport.  W. 
H.  F.  Lee's  brigade  was  pushed  down  the  Williamsport 
road  after  the  Federals,  and  Robertson's  and  Jenkins'  bri- 
gades, taking  the  left  of  the  road,  moved  parallel  with 
Lee's  brigade.  The  9th  Virginia  cavalry  was  in  advance 
and,  when  the  order  was  given  to  charge,  it  dashed  for- 
ward along  the  pike  at  full  speed  and  soon  struck  the  Fed- 
eral column  with  irresistible  force,  driving  it  back  in  great 
confusion. 

The  charge  was  a  brilliant  one,  and  the  fighting,  though 
brief,  was  furious  and  sanguinary,  and  Ashton  engaged  in 
the  same  with  even  more  than  his  usual  zeal,  energy,  and 
gallantry.  His  usually  calm  and  quiet  countenance  was 
aglow   with  excitement   and   enthusiasm,   his  whole  body 


JOHN  ASHTON.  157 

was  instinct  with  animation,  his  soul  seemed  to  be  imbued 
with  the  spirit  of  battle,  and  he  rushed  into  the  thickest  of 
the  fight  with  headlong  impetuosity,  apparently  uncon- 
scious of  danger  and  bent  solely  on  the  destruction  of  his 
foes.  Riding  at  the  head  of  the  column,  he  was  one  of  the 
first  to  reach  the  Federal  troopers  and  at  once  began  to  use 
his  saber  with  telling  effect,  cutting  right  and  left  with 
lightning-like  rapidity;  and  almost  every  stroke  of  his 
flashing  blade  disabled  the  unfortunate  foeman  on  whom 
it  fell.  His  comrades  had  long  known  and  marked  his  skill 
and  gallantry  in  battle,  but  they  had  never  before  seen  him 
display  such  impetuosit\'  and  seemingly  reckless  bravery  as 
characterized  his  conduct  on  this  occasion.  The  Federals 
did  not  long  withstand  the  vigorous  onslaught  of  the  Con- 
federates and  soon  began  to  retreat.  At  this  time  Jenkins' 
brigade,  which,  as  before  stated,  was  moving  parallel  with 
W.  H.  F.  Lee's  brigade  on  the  left  of  the  road,  was  hurried 
up  to  attack  the  Federals  in  the  flank,  but  several  fences 
obstructed  their  m.arch  and  delayed  their  movements  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  Federals  had  time  to  rally  their 
forces  and  obtain  a  sheltered  position  behind  a  crest  of 
rocks.  Jenkins'  brigade  was  then  dismounted  and  at  once 
advanced  on  the  Federals  and  soon  drove  them  out  of  the 
position  which  they  had  taken.  As  soon  as  they  were  dis- 
lodged by  the  dismounted  men,  the  mounted  men  renewed 
the  attack  upon  them  and  drove  them  back.  The  Federals 
made  one  effort  at  a  countercharge,  which  was  bravely  met 
and  completely  repulsed  by  a  fragment  of  the  5th  North 
Carolina  cavalry  under  its  gallant  commander,  Colonel 
James  B.  Gordon.  Immediately  after  this,  Colonel  L.  L. 
Lomax  arrived  with  the  11th  Virginia  cavalry,  of  Jones' 
brigade,  from  the  direction  of  Cavetown.  Moving  his  reg- 
iment parallel  with  the  pike  tm til  within  about  five  hun- 
dred yards  of  the  Federals,  he  turned  into  the  pike  under  a 
heavy  fire  from  the  Federal  batteries,  advanced  rapidly 
toward  the  Federals,  and  when  within  two  hundred  yards 
of  them,  his  regiment  began  a  charge  that  was  a  gallant 
and  effective  one,  resulting  in  the  complete  rout  of  the  Fed- 
erals and  the  capture  of  a  number  of  prisoners.  By  this 
vigorous    and   persistent  attack.  General  Stuart   not    only 


158  JOHN  ASHTON. 

inflicted  a  severe  blow  on  the  Federals,  but  also,  as  he  had 
expected,  caused  them  to  raise  their  siege  of  Williamsport, 
and  thereby  saved  the  army  trains  congregated  at  that 
place;  for  they  hastily  left  that  night  by  the  Downs ville 
road. 

On  the  next  day  (July  7th),  General  Stuart  proceeded  to 
Downsville,  and  on  the  following  day  advanced  toward 
Boonsborough.  At  Beaver  Creek  Bridge,  the  Federals 
were  first  encountered  on  the  Boonsborough  road  by 
Jones'  brigade,  and  from  that  point  to  Boonsborough,  the 
fighting  was  continuous,  Hampton's,  Fitzhugh  Lee's,  and 
W.  H.  F.  Lee's  brigades  participating  in  the  same.  Owing 
to  the  fact  that  the  ground  was  very  soft  from  the  effects 
of  recent  heavy  rains,  cavalry  operations  were  impracti- 
cable, and  most  of  the  fighting  was  done  on  foot.  It  was 
done  in  a  gallant  and  spirited  manner  by  the  Confederates, 
and  the}'  steadily  drove  back  the  Federals  before  them. 

The  9th  Virginia  cavalry  furnished  its  quota  of  dis- 
mounted men  to  act  as  sharpshooters  in  driving  back  the 
Federals,  and  Ashton  was  among  the  first  to  dismount 
and  press  forward  to  the  attack.  He  was  an  excellent 
shot  and  did  good  service  with  his  carbine  during  this  for- 
ward movement.  Just  as  the  Federals  reached  the  out- 
skirts of  Boonsborough  in  their  retreat,  and  while  Ashton 
was  in  the  act  of  firing,  he  was  wounded  by  a  shot  from  a 
carbine.  The  ball  entered  his  left  shoulder  just  below  the 
collar-bone  and  passed  out  at  the  point  of  the  shoulder- 
blade,  inflicting  a  painful  and  dangerous  wound.  He  was 
at  once  taken  to  the  rear  and  carried  with  other  wounded 
Confederates  to  Williamsport.  There  his  wound  was  ex- 
amined and  dressed  and  his  condition  rendered  as  comfort- 
able as  possible. 

Owing  to  the  swollen  condition  of  the  Potomac,  General 
Lee  had  not  yet  begun  to  move  his  army  across  the  stream, 
which  was  too  deep  to  be  forded,  and  his  pontoon  bridges 
had  not  been  laid.  However,  the  wounded  were  being  car- 
ried over  in  ferry-boats,  and  on  the  following  day  Ashton 
was  taken  across  in  that  manner.  On  the  night  of  the 
13th  and  the  morning  of  the  14th  of  July,  the  entire  army 
crossed  the  river  and  after  several  skirmishes,  principally 
by  the  cavalry,  resumed  its  former  line  along   the  Rappa- 


JOHN  ASIITON.  169 

hannock  on  July  25th,  but   ultimately  occupied  the   line  of 
the  Rapidan  about  August 4th. 

In  the  meantime,  Ashton  had  been  subjected  to  a  trying 
and  painful  experience.  After  he  was  carried  across  the 
Potomac  on  July  9th,  he  remained  near  that  point  until 
the  army  crossed  the  river.  On  July  15th  he  was  carried 
to  Bunker  Hill,  about  twelve  miles  north  of  Winchester, 
where  the  army  encamped  until  July  21st,  and  during  that 
time  arrangements  were  made  for  the  removal  to  Staunton 
of  all  of  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  who  could  bear  trans- 
portation. Although  Ashton's  wound  was  exceedingly  pain- 
ful and  caused  him  intense  suffering,  he  insisted  on  being  taken 
to  Staunton,  as  he  had  a  horror  of  again  falling  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy.  His  request  was  granted,  and  in  com- 
pany with  other  wounded  soldiers,  he  was  transported  up 
the  Valley  turnpike  to  Staunton.  At  Mount  Jackson  and 
Harrisonburg  wayside  hospitals  had  been  established,  and 
at  each  of  these  places  Ashton  remained  for  a  day  or  two, 
and  his  wound  was  redressed,  and  he  was  refreshed  with 
food  and  much-needed  rest. 

The  ladies  at  these  places  were  exceedingly  kind  to  the 
sick  and  wounded  Confederate  soldiers,  bringing  them 
food  and  drink  suitable  for  their  condition  and  doing  all  in 
their  power  to  alleviate  their  sufferings.  Indeed,  such  had 
been  the  conduct  of  the  noble  and  patriotic  citizens  all 
along  the  route  from  "Winchester  whenever  they  had  oppor- 
tunities for  ministering  to  the  sick  and  wounded  of  the 
retiring  army.  This  was  the  second  time  they  had  mani- 
fested their  kindness  and  liberality  in  contributing  to  the 
necessities  of  the  sick  and  wounded  of  the  Confederate 
army ;  for  in  the  preceding  September,  after  the  battle  of 
Sharpsburg  and  General  Lee's  return  from  Maryland,  the 
sick  and  wounded  of  his  army  were  transported  from 
Winchester  by  way  of  the  Valley  turnpike.  Nobly  and 
generously  did  the  people  along  the  route  respond  to  the 
calls  that  were  thereby  made  upon  their  kindness  and  liber- 
ality;  and  many  a  war-worn,  battle-scarred  Confederate 
veteran  to-day  holds  in  highest  honor  and  in  his  heart 
blesses  the  patriotic,  generous,  self-sacrificing  and  kind- 
hearted  citizens  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  We  might  add, 
in  passing,  that  in  contrast  with  this  feeling  of  honor  and 


160  JOHN  AS  ETON. 

gratitude  for  the  kindness  and  generosity  of  these  noble 
citizens,  there  is  also  in  the  hearts  and  minds  of  those  Con- 
federate veterans  an  ineradicable  feeling  of  utter  condem- 
nation and  abhorrence  of  the  barbarous,  brutal  and  cruel 
conduct  of  General  Sheridan  in  his  treatment  of  those  citi- 
zens and  the  wholesale  destruction  of  their  property  dur- 
in,!^  the  fall  of  3  864,  whereby  that  once  beautiful  and  pro- 
ductive valley  was  almost  made  a  desert. 

In  order  that  the  reader  may  see  that  this  comment  on 
Sheridan's  conduct  is  just,  and  that  the  effect  of  his  bar- 
barous deeds  has  not  been  exaggerated,  we  will  let  him 
speak  for  himself  by  quoting  from  the  dispatch  sent  by 
him  just  after  he  had  driven  General  Early  back  to  Staun- 
ton in  September,  1864,  and  withdrawn  his  own  army  be- 
hind Cedar  Creek.     In  that  dispatch,  he  sa^'s  : 

"In  moving  back  to  this  point,  the  whole  country,  from 
the  Blue  Ridge  to  the  North  Mountains,  has  been  made  en- 
entirely  untenable  for  a  rebel  array.  I  have  destro^-ed  over 
two  thousand  barns  filled  with  wheat  and  hay  and  farming 
implements,  over  seventy  mills  filled  with  flour  and  wheat; 
have  driven  in  front  of  the  army  over  four  thousand  head 
of  stock ;  and  have  killed  and  issued  to  the  troops  not  less 
f'nn  three  thousand  sheep.  This  destruction  embraces  the 
Luray  Valley  and  the  Little  Fork  Valley,  as  well  as  the 
main  valley." 

Asking  the  reader  to  excuse  this  digression  we  will  return 
to  Ashton.  After  arriving  at  Staunton,  he  was  allowed 
to  remain  there  for  a  few  days  and  was  then  transferred 
over  the  Virginia  Central  railroad  to  Gordonsville,  reaching 
that  place  on  August  1st.  Gordonsville,  at  this  time,  was 
a  distributing  point  for  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers,  and 
from  there  they  were  sent  to  the  various  general  hospitals. 
On  the  day  after  his  arrival  at  Gordonsville,  Ashton  was 
sent,  in  company  with  a  number  of  other  wounded  soldiers, 
to  Richmond,  and  arrived  there  in  the  evening  of  that  day. 
He  was  assigned  to  the  hospital  at  which  Ruth  Middleton 
and  Bertha  Gray  were  doing  duty  as  volunteer  nurses  two 
months  before,  but  they  were  not  there  at  this  time.  In 
order  that  the  reader  may  understand  the  cause  of  their 
absence,  it  will  be  necessary  to  relate  something  of  their 
experience  since  they  last  appeared  in  our  story. 


JOHN  ASHTON.  161 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A  few  days  after  the  suicide  of  Sergeant  Paul,  alias  Ed- 
ward Craft,  Captain  Carrington  returned  to  his  command, 
which  was  then  near  Culpeper  Court-house  and  about  to 
start  on  the  march  to  Pennsylvania.  These  few  days  had 
been  rife  with  happiness  to  him  and  Bertha,  and  their  part- 
ing was  exceedingly  sad  to  both,  as  they  felt  that  it  might 
be  a  final  one.  For  several  days  after  Carrington's  dejDart- 
ure,  Bertha  was  very  sad  and  dejected,  but  on  June  11th 
her  feelings  were  greatly  revived  b}'  the  receipt  of  a  letter 
from  him,  written  the  night  before  he  left  Culpeper  Court- 
house with  Ewell's  corps  on  its  march  to  the  Valley.  The 
letter  was  characterized  by  a  spirit  of  tenderest  devotion 
that  was  very  sweet  and  comforting  to  her  heart,  and 
written  in  such  a  jo_vous  and  hopeful  strain  that  it  par- 
tially banished  her  sadness  and  tended  to  restore  her  cheerful- 
ness. Carrington  promised  to  write  as  often  as  he  had 
opportunities  for  so  doing,  but  told  her  that  these  oppor- 
tunities would  necessarily  be  quite  few^  as  the  arm}^ 
was  about  to  invade  the  enemy's  country  and  it  might  be 
weeks  before  he  could  send  a  letter  back  into  the  Confed- 
eracy, and  hence  that  she  must  not  be  uneasy  shou-ld  she 
fail  to  hear  from  him  for  some  time  after  he  had  crossed 
the  border. 

It  had  now  been  nearly  two  months  since  Bertha  arrived 
in  Richmond,  and  she  decided  to  terminate  her  visit   and 

return  to  B .    Hence,    a   few   days  thereafter,  she  bade 

Ruth  good-bye  and  returned  to  her  Southern  home.  Ruth's 
interest  in  her  work  at  the  hospital  was  unabated,  but  she 
now  had  comparatively  little  to  do,  as  most  of  the 
wounded  soldiers  who  were  brought  to  the  hospital  just 
after  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  had  recovered  from  the 
effects  of  their  wounds  and  been  discharged.  This  gave  her 
a  great  deal  of  leisure  time,  and  much  of  it  was  spent  in 
walking  about  the  city  in  company  with  her  devoted  little 
friend,  Randolph  Slaughter,  who  took  the  greatest  delight 
in  acting. as  her  escort  and  showing  her  various  places  of 
interest  in  the  Confederate  Capital. 


162  JOHN  ASH  TON. 

About  the  middle  of  July,  they  were  one  day  walking  in 
Capitol  Square  and,  while  approaching  Clay  Monument, 
suddenly  came  face  to  face  with  a  lady  and  gentleman 
walking  toward  them.  The  lady  at  once  rushed  forward, 
exclaiming: 

"Why,  how  do  you  do,  Ruth  !  You  dear  old  girl.  I  am  so 
glad  to  see  you  !" 

Ruth  instantly  recognized  the  lady  as  Belle  Preston,  who 
had  been  one  of  her  classmates  when  she  attended  Augusta 
Female  Seminary,  at  Staunton,  several  years  before,  and, 
springing  forward  to  meet  her,  the  girls  were  soon  em- 
bracing each  other  in  a  very  affectionate  manner.  After 
this  affectionate  greeting  was  over,  Belle  introduced  the 
gentleman  as  her  brother,  Lieutenant  Frank  Preston  of  the 

artiller3^which  was  then  stationed  near   the    city    and 

constituted  part  of  the  defensive  force  of  the  Confederate 
Capital.  Ruth,  in  turn,  introduced  Randolph  Slaughter  to 
Belle  and  Lieutenant  Preston  and  opened  the  conversation 
by  saying : 

"I  am  delighted  to  see  you,  Belle,  and  have  several  times 
thought  of  writing  you  to  let  you  know  that  I  was 
here,  so  that  you  might  make  me  a  visit." 

"You  don't  mean  to  say,"  said  Belle,  "that  you  have  been 
in  Richmond  for  any  length  of  time?  What  in  the  world 
have  you  been  doing?  And  why  did  you  not  come  to  see 
me?" 

"Yes," replied  Ruth,  "I  have  been  here  for  several  months, 
and  my  time  has  been  occupied  in  attending  on  the 
wounded  soldiers  at  one  of  the  hospitals,  where  I  am  a 
volunteer  nurse.  I  have  really  had  no  opportunity  for  visit- 
ing you  and,  moreover,  did  not  know  whether  or  not  you 
were  at  home." 

"Yes,"  said  Belle,  "I  have  been  at  home  all  the  year,  and 
am  so  sorry  that  I  did  not  know  that  you  were  here ;  for  if 
I  had,  I  would  certainly  have  come  to  see  you  immediately. 
I  was  greatly  surprised  to  find  you  here,  but  am  not  now 
surprised  to  learn  what  you  are  doing;  for,  in  view  of  my 
knowledge  of  your  character,  it  seems  perfectly  natural  to 
find  you  acting  the  part  of  a  Florence  Nightingale.  Now 
that  I  have  found  you,  I  am  bent  on   seeing  something  of 


JOHN  ASIITON.  '  163 

you  and  intend  to  take  you  home  with  me.  You  need  not 
offer  any  excuses,  for  I  will  not  accept  them,  and  3'ou  must 
get  ready  to  go  home  with  us.     Isn't  that  so,  Frank  ?" 

Lieutenant  Preston  replied:  "Of  course,  Belle,  we  must 
not  try  to  influence  Miss  Middleton  to  act  contrary  to  her 
sense  of  duty  as  to  the  claims  of  her  patients  at  the  hospi- 
tal, but,  if  she  can  consistently  leave  them  for  two  or 
three  weeks,  I  agree  with  you  in  thinking  that  she  ought  to 
make  you  a  visit.  And  I  hope.  Miss  Middleton,  that  their 
condition  is  such  that  you  can  safely  and  consistently 
with  your  sense  of  duty  leave  them  for  that  length  of  time; 
for  our  family  will  be  deHghted  to  have  you  with  them 
and,  moreover,  the  salubrious  climate  of  Lexington  and  the 
bracing  breezes  from  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains  will  be  a 
pleasant  and  salutary  change  from  the  atmosphere  of  this 
crowded  city  and  the  confinement  of  hospital  duties  " 

"I  thank  both  of  you,"  said  Ruth,  "for  your  kind  invita- 
tion for  me  to  visit  your  home,  and  am  glad  that  I  can  at 
this  time  consistently  accept  it.  Nearly  all  of  the  wounded 
soldiers  have  been  discharged  from  the  hospital  where  I  am 
performing  the  duties  of  a  nurse,  and  hence  my  services  can 
very  well  be  spared  at  present.  I  w^ll,  therefore,  be  de- 
lighted to  make  Belle  a  short  visit." 

"I  am  so  glad,"  said  Belle,  "and  you  must  get  ready  at 
once,  for  we  expect  to  leave  for  home  to-morrow.  Frank 
has  obtained  a  short  leave  of  absence  from  his  companv,as 
there  is  at  this  time  no  force  threatening  Richmond,  and 
his  services  are  not  especially  needed  here." 

Ruth  promised  to  make  arrangements  to  accompany 
Belle  and  her  brother  home  the  next  day,  and  the  parties 
separated.  She  at  once  communicated  with  the  hospital 
authorities  in  regard  to  her  contemplated  visit,  obtained 
their  consent  to  the  same,  and  made  all  necessary  prepara- 
tions for  her  departure. 

The  next  morning  Frank  Preston  and  his  sister  called  for 
Ruth  in  a  cab,  and  the  three  were  at  once  driven  to  the  rail- 
way station  and  were  soon  on  their  way  to  Lexington. 
Ruth  received  a  hearty  welcome  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pres- 
ton and  at  once  felt  at  home  in  the  household.  She  found 
that  Frank  Preston  had  by  no   means  exaggerated   the  cli- 


164  JOHN  AS  ETON. 

matic  advantages  of  Lexington  as  contrasted  with  her  sur- 
roundings in  Richmond,  and  soon  felt  the  beneficial  effects 
of  her  change  of  locality  in  an  increase  of  strength,  vital- 
ity, and  buoyancy  of  spirits.  Indeed,  not  only  v^as  the 
climate  all  that  could  be  desired  in  point  of  salubrity,  but 
Rockbridge  county,  in  which  Lexington  is  situated,  proved 
exceedingly  attractive  to  her,  being  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful and  picturesque  portions  of  the  great  Valley  of  Vir- 
ginia. Lying  between  the  Blue  Ridge  on  the  east  and  Alle- 
ghany Mountains  on  the  west,  and  near  the  foot  of  the 
former,  the  county  is  quite  fertile,  its  climate  is  exceedingly 
healthful,  and  the  country  surrounding  it  is  peculiarly  beau- 
tiful and  attractive. 

During  Ruth's  visit,  Frank  Preston  constantly  exerted 
himself  to  contribute  to  her  pleasure,  and  before  its  close  he 
had  given  her  the  full  benefit  of  tlie  mountain  breezes  iind 
beautiful  scenery,  and  taken  her  and  Belle  to  various  points 
of  interest  in  the  county.  Among  these  was  the  Natural 
Bridge,  whose  single  arch  of  solid  rock  spans  a  yawning 
chasm  and  forms  an  adamantine  causeway  across  its  dizzy 
depths.  Here  the  party  spent  several  hours  in  viewing  this 
curious  freak  of  nature,  and  the  attractions  of  the  deep 
chasm  which  it  spans,  whose  rocky  and  perpendicular  sides 
and  rugged  surroundings  present  a  sight  of  nature  in  one 
of  her  most  weird  and  picturesque  forms.  The  time 
allowed  for  Ruth's  stay  with,  her  friends  passed  pleasantly 
and  swiftlv  by,  and  at  its  close  she  was  loth  to  leave 
them,  and  would  have  prolonged  her  visit  but  for  the  fact 
that  she  was  informed  that  her  services  were  needed  in 
Richmond  in  consequence  of  the  arrival  there  of  many  of 
the  soldiers  who  had  been  wounded  during  the  Gettys- 
burgcampaign.  Hence,onAugust3d,  she  left  forRiclimond, 
accompanied  by  Lieutenant  Preston,  and  arrived  there  that 
evening.  On  the  following  morning  she  repaired  to  the 
hospital,  reported  for  duty,  and  immediately  resumed  her 
work.  On  entering  the  ward  into  which  her  duties  called 
her,  she  was  shocked  to  see  that  every  bunk  was  occupied, 
and  her  heart  was  greatly  pained  by  the  sound  of  an  occa- 
sional groan  from  some  poor  fellow  who  was  still  suffer- 
ing from  the  effects  of  his  wound. 


JOHN  ASRTON.  165 

Ruth  had  thought  that  her  familiarity  with  distressing 
scenes  incident  to  her  service  at  the  hospital  was  such  that 
she  would  never  be  unnerved  by  them,  but  on  this  occasion 
she  was  so  affected  by  the  sights  and  sounds  around  her 
that  it  was  several  moments  before  she  felt  equal  to  the 
discharge  of  her  duties.  Having  finally  regained  her  com- 
posure, she  began  her  work  at  the  entrance  to  the  w^trd  an  1 
moved  on  down  the  row  of  bunks  on  that  side  of  the  room, 
rendering  to  each  of  their  respective  occupants  such  service 
as  his  case  required.  She  had  assisted  in  dressing  several 
ghastly  wounds  and  looked  with  pain  upon  the  pinched  and 
haggard  faces  of  a  number  of  soldiers  who  had  been 
almost  reduced  to  skeletons  by  loss  of  blood  and  intense 
suffering,  and  when  she  arrived  near  the  lower  end  of  the 
row  of  bunks,  her  feelings  had  become  so  affected  that  she 
was  completely  unnerved. 

At  that  moment  she  approachd  the  bunk  on  which  Ash- 
ton  was  lying.  His  face  was  partially  turned  from  her, 
and  he  was  dozing  at  the  time.  As  she  caught  sight  of  his 
face,  something  familiar  in  its  appearance  arrested  her 
attention  and  caused  her  to  stop.  In  a  moment,  she 
quickly  and  nervously  advanced  to  obtain  a  better  view 
of  his  features,  and,  as  she  did  so,  the  sound  of  her  foot- 
steps awakened  him.  Opening  his  eyes,  he  turned  his  face 
and  looked  at  her  in  a  startled  manner.  Starting  back  in 
affright,  she  exclaimed: 

"Great  heavens !  Is  that  an  illusion?  Or  has  the  grave 
given  up  its  dead?" 

At  the  sound  of  Ruth's  voice,  Ashton's  face  was  illumined 
by  an  expression  of  happiness,  and  quickly  rising  to  a  sit- 
ting posture,  he  joj-ously  said  : 

"Neither,  Ruth,  my  darling;  for  'tis  I,  John  Ashton,  in 
the  flesh." 

With  a  cry  of  intense  gladness,  Ruth  sprang  forward  and 
fell  on  Ashton's  breast,  exclaiming: 

"Thank  God,  my  darling  is  alive,"  and  fainted  from 
excess  of  joy. 

Ashton  called  to  one  of  the  attendants  in  the  ward  and 
at  once  had  the  surgeon  and  a  female  nurse  summoned  to 
Ruth's  assistance.     They  bore   her  to   the  matron's   apart- 


166  JOHN  ASHTON. 

ment,  and,  by  the  use  of  proper  remedies,  she  was  soon 
restored  to  consciousness.  About  an  hour  afterward  she 
returned  to  Ashton's  bedside.  Although  their  surroundings 
prevented  a  full  and  free  expression  of  the  jo^'ous  feelings 
that  filled  their  hearts,  each  read  in  the  other's  face  the 
sweet  story  of  perfect  love  and  supreme  happiness. 

Alutual  explanations  were  given,  and,  although  from 
what  had  occurred,  Ashton  could  easily  have  guessed  the 
contents  of  Ruth's  lost  letter,  he  learned  from  her  for  the 
first  time  the  story  it  told  of  her  reciprocal  love,  and  Ruth 
became  aware  of  the  fact  that  it  had  never  reached  its  des- 
tination. He  also  learned  why  the  letter  he  wrote  Ruth 
just  after  his  return  from  captivity  failed  to  reach  her  and 
was  returned  to  him,  that  his  last  letter  was  never 
received,  and  that, in  consequence  of  his  reported  death  and 
her  failure  to  hear  from  him,  Ruth  had  mourned  for  him  as 
dead  for  nearly  a  year.  This  led  her  to  explain  her  presence 
at  the  hospital  and  the  circumstances  which  had  brought 
about  their  fortunate  meeting.  Ashton  then  explained  how 
he  came  to  be  reported  among  those  who  were  killed  at  the 
second  battle  of  Alanassas,  and  gave  Ruth  a  full  account 
of  his  capture  on  that  occasion,  his  experience  in  the 
hospital  at  Washington,  the  services  of  MissR in  rescu- 
ing him,  as  he  believed,  from  imminent  death,  his  removal 
to  Fort  Delaware  and  subsequent  escape  therefrom  and 
ultimate  return  to  his  command.  In  the  hearts  of  some 
women  Ashton's  grateful  and  glowing  account  of  Miss 
R 's  untiring  attention  to  him  during  his  dangerous  ill- 
ness, and  her  subsequent  services  in  securing  the  means  for 
his  safe  return  to  the  Confederac3^  andhis  warm  tribute  to 
her  worth  would  have  awakened  feelings  of  jealousy;  but 
no  such  effect  was  thereby  produced  in  Ruth's  heart,  in 
which  there  dwelt  that  "perfect  lovethatcasteth  out  fear," 
and  she  experienced  only  emotions  of  highest  admiration 
for,  and  deepest  gratitude  to,  this  noble  and  self-sacrificing 
girl  for  what  she  had  done,  and  longed  to  see  and  thank  her 
for  having  saved  the  life  of  her  lover. 

Ashton  naturallj'  told  Ruth  of  his  sickening  disappoint- 
ment in  failing  to  receive  her  letter  in  answer  to  the  one  in 
which  he  declared   his   love  for   her,  the  harrowing   uncer- 


JOHN  ASTITON.  167 

tainty  thereby  occasioned  as  to  whether  his  love  was 
returned,  and  the  almost  constant  anxiety  and  despondency 
that  he  subsequently  experienced  in  consequence  of  his  con- 
tinued failure  to  hear  from  her.  Ruth  was  deeply  affected 
by  the  knowledge  of  all  that  he  had  suffered  in  conse- 
quence of  his  failure  to  receive  her  letter,  and  told  him  how 
keenly  she  regretted  the  unfortunate  occurrence.  After 
giving  her  an  account  of  his  service  in  the  army  subsequent 
to  his  escape  from  captivity,  and  the  circumstances  under 
which  he  received  the  w^ound  that  caused  him  to  be  brought 
to  the  hospital,  Ashton  told  Ruth  that,  notwithstanding 
the  intense  suffering  which  he  had  experienced  from  his 
wound,  he  did  not  regret  having  received  it,  as  it  had  been 
the  means  of  revealing  her  love  for  him  and  relieving  her 
from  the  sorrow  occasioned  by  his  supposed  death.  She 
was  deeply  touched  by  this  manifestation  of  his  exalted 
appreciation  of  her  love,  and  his  absorbing  love  for  her  and 
great  solicitude  for  her  happiness,  and  shed  tears  of  grati- 
tude and  joy  at  the  thought  that  she  was  the  honored 
object  of  such  perfect  devotion.  She  expressed  the  ten- 
derest  sympathy  for  him  in  his  wounded  condition  and  told 
him  how  glad  she  was  that  her  hospital  experience  had  pre- 
pared her  to  render  him  efficient  service  in  alleviating  his 
suffering  and  restoring  his  lost  strength. 

Their  conversation  was  greatly  prolonged,  and  when 
Ruth  finally  left  him,  it  was  done  reluctantly  and  with  the 
assurance  that  she  would  return  as  early  as  possible  the 
next  morning.  The  reader  can  readily  imagine  what  cheer- 
ful feelings  filled  the  mind  and  heart  of  Ashton  in  conse- 
quence of  the  incidents  of  that  day;  and  such  is  the  effect 
of  cheerfulness  and  happiness  on  the  physical  nature  that 
there  was  a  marked  improvement  in  his  condition  when 
Ruth  arrived  at  his  bedside  the  following  morning.  She 
instantly  noticed  his  improved  appearance  and  joyously 
said: 

"I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  are  looking  so  much  better. 
Some  fairy  must  have  given  you  a  draught  of  the  elixir  of 
life  during  the  night." 

"No,"   said  Ashton,  "but  an    angel  gave   me  a  sip  of  the 


168  JOHN  ASIITON. 

elixir  of  love   on  yesterday,  and  its   vivifying  effects  have 
been  magical." 

Blushing  at  this  compliment,  Ruth  replied:  "I  saw  at  a 
glance  that  you  were  looking  better,  and  now  I  know  you 
are  feeling  better  than  when  I  left  you;  for  persons  don't 
flatter  when  they  are  feeling  badly.  Rejecting  as  fanciful 
your  idea  of  the  giver,  and  accepting  as  a  fact  the  alleged 
effect  of  the  gift,  I,  as  your  nurse,  promise  you  such  an 
abundant  supply  of  the  elixir  of  which  you  speak  as  will 
secure  your  speedy  recovery," 

"A  thousand  thanks,  my  darling,  for  that  assurance," 
said  Ashton.  "While  I  did  not  need  it  to  satisfy  me  of  your 
continued  love,  it  is  very  sw^eet  and  comforting  to  me,  and, 
in  all  seriousness,  I  assure  you  that  the  knowledge  of  your 
priceless  love  and  the  perfect  peace  and  happiness  which 
your  presence  gives  me  will  greatly  hasten  my  recovery.  It 
is  true  that  my  wound  is  still  troublesome  and  will  require 
some  time  in  which  to  heal;  but  the  sweet  contentment  that 
I  experience  in  your  companionship  and  love  will  wonder- 
fully assist  both  nature  and  science  in  the  work  of 
healing." 

"It  makes  me  inexpressibly  happy,"  said  Ruth,  "to  know 
that  I  can  be  instrumental  in  contributing  to  your  happi- 
ness and  aiding  in  your  recovery.  And  you  must  now  let 
me  begin  one  branch  of  this  labor  of  love  by  dressing  your 
wound." 

Ruth  then  performed  this  operation  in  a  very  gentle  and 
careful  manner,  and  with  that  ease  and  deftness  which  fre- 
quent practice  in  similar  work  had  given  her.  When  she 
had  finished,  and  Ashton,  by  both  words  and  looks,  had 
expressed  his  grateful  thanks  for  her  service,  Ruth  said : 

"I  have  been  so  absorbed  in  my  thoughts  of  you  and  the 
happiness  I  experience  in  the  fact  that  you  were  not  killed, 
as  1  had  long  believed,  that  I  have  entirely  forgotten  to 
tell  you  anything  about  ray  cousin,  Bertha  Gray.  Of 
course,  you  remember  her  and  would  doubtless  like  to  hear 
about  her." 

"Yes,"  said  Ashton,  "I  remember  her  with  great  pleasure, 
and  think  of  her  as  one  of  my  best  and  most  highly  prized 
friends.     Moreover,  if  I  had  not  admired  and  liked  her   for 


JOHN  AS  ETON.  169 

her  intrinsic  worth, her  perfect  devotion  to  you  would  have 
attached  mc  to  her;  for,  you  know,  'a  fellow  feeling 
makes  us  wondrous  kind.'  Please  tell  me  all  about  her,  as 
I  shall  be  interested  in  everj'thing  concerning  her." 

"Well,"  said  Ruth,  "I  will  begin  by  stating  that  she  has 
'met  her  fate'  and  is  deeply  in  love.  The  fortunate  pos- 
sessor of  her  heart  is  a  handsome,  talented,  and  gaUant 
officer  of  the  4th  Georgia  infantry,  and  I  believe  that  he 
fully  appreciates  her  love  and  is  in  all  respects  worthy  of  it. 
The  gentleman  alluded  to  is  Captain  Philip  Carrington 
and  strange  to  say,  shemet  him  in  this  very  ward  and  under 
circumstances  similar  to  those  which  reunited  us ;  for,  like 
yourself,  he  was  brought  here  in  a  wounded  condition,  and 
Bertha  met  him  while  assisting  me  in  my  hospital  duties. 
And  now  I  will  tell  you  all  about  the  affair." 

Ruth  then  proceeded  to  give  Ashton  an  account  of 
Bertha's  visit  to  Richmond,  her  meeting  with  Carrington, 
and  her  subsequent  experience  in  the  Confederate  Capital. 

Leaving  her  thus  engaged,  we  will  give  the  reader  some 
account  of  Carrington's  experience  and  the  movements  of 
his  command  after  he  left  Bertha  the  preceding  month.  He 
reached  Cuipeper  Court-house  June  7th  in  time  to  rejoin 
his  regiment  on  its  arrival  there  that  day,  and  resumed  the 
command  of  his  company  the  next  morning.  He  was 
exceedingly-  popular,  both  with  his  company  and  the  entire 
regiment,  and  when  it  became  known  that  he  had  returned 
to  camp,  scores  of  persons  from  all  parts  of  the  regiment 
came  to  his  tent  to  congratulate  him  on  his  recovery  from 
the  effects  of  his  wound,  and  heartily  welcomed  him  back 
to  the  army.  The  4th  Georgia  regiment,  to  which  he 
belonged,  was  in  General  George  Doles'  brigade  of  General 
Robert  E.Rodes'  division,  and  on  June  9th  the  division  was 
moved  out  toward  Brandy  Station  to  support  the  Confed- 
erate cavalry  in  the  enga^em^nt  which  we  have  described 
in  a  former  part  of  our  story,  but  did  not  take  part  in  the 
fight,  as  the  Federals  had  been  repulsed  and  driven  back  by 
General  Stuart. 

On  the  next  day,  the  division  began  its  march  to  the 
Shenandoah  Valley,  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  on  June  12th, 
and  moved  toward  Berryville  on  June  13th  for  the  purpose 


170  JOHN  ASHTON. 

of  capturing  the  Federal  garrison  at  that  place.  The  Fed- 
erals discovered  the  movement  and  escaped  by  retreating 
that  night.  Ascertaining  this  fact  the  next  day,  General 
Rodes  pressed  forward  to  Martinsburg  and  reached  that 
place  late  in  the  afternoon.  At  this  time  the  cavalry 
brigade  of  General  Jenkins  was  skirmishing  with  the  Fed- 
erals, and  General  Rodes  at  once  attacked  the  latter  and 
quickly  routed  them,  capturing  five  pieces  of  artillery  and  a 
number  of  horses,  and  also  some  commissary  stores,  artillery 
ammunition  and  small  arms  which  were  stored  in  the  town. 
The  division  marched  to  Williamsport  the  next  day,  and  the 
brigades  of  Doles,  Iverson,  and  Ramseur  were  at  once  sent 
across  the  Potomac.  The  division  reached  Greencastle, 
Pennsylvania,  June  22d  and  from  that  place  it  marched 
through  Chambersburg  to  Carlisle,  arriving  there  June 
27th.  Receiving  orders  on  June  30th  to  rejoin  the  main 
body  of  the  army.  General  Rodes  marched  to  Heidlersburg, 
and  on  Julv  1st  proceeded  to  Middletovvn,  where  he  learned 
that  A.  P.  Hill's  corps  was  advancing  on  Gettysburg  and, 
by  order  of  General  Ewell,  the  division  was  moved  toward 
that  place.  Before  reaching  the  town,  the  Federals  were 
encountered  in  large  force,  and  Rodes'  entire  division  was 
soon  engaged  in  a  hot  and  sanguinary  contest  with  him. 
Iverson's  bri-^ade  was  in  advance  on  the  right  center,  sup- 
ported on  the  right  by  Daniel's  brigade  and  on  the  left  by 
Rides'  brigade,  under  Colonel  Edward  A.  O'Neal.  In 
advancing,  Iverson's  brigade  changed  its  direction  to  the 
left  and  soon  encountered  a  heavy  force  of  Federals 
stronglv  posted  in  the  woods  and  behind  a  concealed  stone 
wall  and  became  engaged  in  a  desperate  and  unequal  con- 
flict with  them.  Discovering  General  Iverson's  change  of 
direction,  General  Daniel  moved  his  brigade  by  the  kft  flank 
to  support  Iverson's  right,  and  soon  encountered  a  large  force 
of  Federals  whose  line  of  battle  was  almost  at  right  angles 
with  Iverson's  line,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  Federals  were 
pouring  a  destructive  fire  of  artillery  and  musketry  into  his 
o-fni  left  and  Iverson's  right  flank.  About  this  time  Rodes' 
brigade  advanced  on  Iverson's  left  and  was  almost  instantly 
driven  back,  and  the  Federals  in  overwhelming  numbers 
charged   Iverson's  brigade  and  captured  nearly  all  of  three 


JOHN  ASHTON.  171 

of  his  regiments  that  had  not  already  been  shot  down. 
These  brave  North  Carohnians  had  made  a  gallant  fight 
and  about  five  hundred  of  them  were  lying  dead  and 
wounded  in  line  of  battle  as  straight  as  was  ever  formed 
on  dress  parade.  Doles'  brigade  was  on  the  extreme  left  of 
the  line  of  battle  and  maintained  a  fierce  contest  with  a 
much  larger  force  of  Feder^ils  until  relieved  by  the  arrival 
of  G^^neral  Early's  division  on  its  left.  Notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  General  Doles  was  greatly  outnumbered,  he  at 
once,  and  without  awaiting  orders,  attacked  the  dense 
masses  of  Federals  in  his  front  and  the  brigade  pressed  for- 
ward with  its  wonted  spirit  and  gallantry.  The  4th 
Georgia  regiment  maintained  its  well-earned  reputation  for 
intrepid  dash  and  daring,  and  Captain  Carrington  led  his 
company  with  unsurpassed  gallantry  in  the  fierce  and 
vigorous  charge  that  was  made  on  the  Federal  lines.  Wav- 
ing his  sword  aloft  with  flashing  eye  and  glowing  counte- 
nance, Carrington  pressed  forward  in  the  charge,  seemingly 
unconscious  of  danger  and  unmindful  of  the  countless  bul- 
lets that  were  whizzing  around  and  above  him,  and  the 
hurtling  shot  and  shell  that  were  being  hurled  at  the 
advancing  lines  by  the  Federal  batteries.  The  contest  was 
hot  and  desperate,  but  of  short  duration,  and  Doles' brigade 
rapidly  drove  the  enemy  back  before  them,  and  in  line  with 
the  other  brigades  of  Rodes'  division,  followed  the  Federals 
into  and  through  Gettysburg,  Doles'  brigade  being  the  first 
to  reach  the  center  of  the  town,  and  there  had  two 
vigorous  and  successful  conflicts  in  the  streets  with  the 
retreating  forces  of  the  enemy.  In  this  engagement  the 
division  captured  two  thousand  and  five  hundred  prisoners. 
General  Rodes  having  been  informed  by  General  Ewell 
that  General  Lee  did  not  wish  to  bring  on  at  that  time  a 
general  engagement,  as  Longstreet's  corps  had  not  arrived, 
and  the  Federals  having  occupied  a  strong  position  on  the 
heights  back  of  Gettysburg,  halted  his  division  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  town  and  there  awaited  orders.  This  position 
was  held  by  the  division  until  the  next  afternoon,  when 
about  dark  an  attack  was  begun  but  not  carried  out  on 
account  of  the  fact  that  there  was  not  full  concert  of  action 
between  this  division  and  the  one  immediately  on  its  right, 


172  JOHN  ASHTON. 

the  latter  having  attacked  and  then  fallen  back  by  the  time 
the  former  had  driven  in  the  Federal  skirmishers.  How- 
ever, General  Rodes  did  not  fall  back,  but  established  his 
front  line  in  the  plain  to  the  right  of  Gettysburg  and  held 
this  position  during  the  remainder  of  the  battle.  In  the 
meantime  a  vigorous  attack  had  been  made  by  otiier  por- 
tions of  the  Confederate  army  on  the  right  and  in  front  of 
the  Federal  position  on  Cemetery  Hill.  The  Federals 
occupied  an  exceedingly  strong  position,  with  their  right 
resting  upon  two  commanding  elevations  near  each  other, 
south  and  southeast  of  Gettysburg,  the  former  being 
known  as  Cemetery  Hill.  Their  line  extended  from  these 
two  hills  along  a  steep  and  elevated  ridge,  parallel  with  the 
Emmitsburg  pike,  for  about  a  mile  to  another  high  hill 
known  as  Round  Top.  This  ridge  and  the  hills  above  men- 
tioned were  difficult  of  ascent,  and  along  the  slope  there 
were  numerous  rail  and  stone  fences  which  afforded  protec- 
tion to  the  Federals,  who  were  posted  in  strong  force 
behind  them  and  also  upon  the  crest  of  the  ridge,  which  was 
lined  with  artillery.  The  ground  in  front  of  the  Federals, 
and  over  which  the  Confederates  had  to  pass  in  making  the 
attack,  was  mostly  open  for  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile, 
and  hence  the  assault  was  made  under  very  disadvanta- 
geous and  trying  circumstances. 
The  attack  was  begun  against  the  Federal  left  by  Hood's 
division  of  Longstreet's  corps,  on  the  extreme  right  of  the 
Confederate  line  and  followed  up  by  McLaws'  division  of 
the  same  corps,  supported  on  his  left  by  Wilcox's,  Wright's, 
Perry's,  and  Posey's  brigades,  of  Anderson's  division  of 
Hill's  corps.  The  Confederates  pressed  gallantly  forward 
across  the  open  ground  under  a  heavy  and  destructive  fire 
of  artillery  and  musketry,  quickly  drove  the  Federals  from 
their  advance  position  on  the  Emrrtitsburg  pike  to  the  cover 
of  a  ravine  and  a  line  of  stone  fences  at  the  foot  of  the 
ridge,  and  after  a  severe  struggle,  dislodged  them  from  this 
position  and  drove  them  to  the  crest  of  the  ridge,  capturing 
several  of  their  batteries.  General  C.  M.  Wilcox's  brigade 
reached  the  foot  of  the  ridge,  having  broken  two  lines  of 
infantry  and  captured  six  pieces  of  artillery  on  the  wa}^ 
and   there  had     a  severe    struggle    with  the   Federals  for 


JOHN  ASIITON.  173 

about  half  an  hour,  and  would  have  carried  the  heights  if 
there  had  been  a  supporting  line  at  hand,  but  for  lack  of 
support  was  compelled  to  withdraw.  General  A.R.  Wright's 
brigad.e,  composed  of  the  3d,  22d,  and  48th  Georgia  regi- 
ments and  the  2d  Georgia  battalion,  not  only  gained  the 
crest  of  the  ridge  but  drove  the  Federals  into  a  rock^'  gorge 
on  the  eastern  sdde  of  the  same  and  captured  abotit  twenty 
pieces  of  artillery  ;  but  as  there  was  no  protecting  force  on 
the  left  and  a  brigade  on  the  right  having  been  driven  back, 
Wright's  brigade  was  forced  to  retire  and  had  to  abandon 
the  captured  artillery,  especially  as  the  Federals  had 
advanced  on  both  flanks  of  the  brigade  and'  were  about  to 
surround  it.  In  the  meantime,  General  Edward  Johnson 
with  Jones',  Nicholls',  and  Stuart'sbrigades,of  his  division, 
assaulted  the  Federal  position  on  the  steep  and  rugged  hill 
next  to  Cemetery  Hill,  and  under  a  heavy  fire  drove  the 
Federals  into  their  intrenchnients,  a  part  of  which  was 
taken  by  Stuart's  brigade. 

Soon  after  General  Johnson's  division  became  engaged, 
General  Early  ordered  Ha3's'  Louisiana  brigade  and  Hoke's 
North  Carolina  brigade,  commanded  by  Colonel  I.E.Avery, 
to  advance  and  carry  the  Federal  works  on  Cemetery  Hill, 
These  two  brigades  advanced  in  gallant  style  across  the 
open  ground  over  which  they  had  to  pass  under  a  heavy  fire  of 
artillery,  attacked  and  drove  back  a  large  force  of  infan- 
try at  the  foot  of  Cemetery  Hill,  pressed  forward  up  the  hill, 
and  soon  broke  and  drove  back  a  second  line  of  Federals 
posted  behind  a  stone  wall.  Again  advancing,  they  reached 
the  third  line  of  Federals  posted  in  rifle-pits  behind  a  strong 
abattis  of  heavy  timber  and  having  broken  this  line  they 
quickly  gained  the  summit  of  the  hill  and  by  a  rapid  charge 
drove  back  the  Federals  on  its  crest  and  captured  several 
pieces  of  artillery,  four  stand  of  colors,  and  a  number  of 
prisoners.  These  brave  Louisianians  and  North  Carolinians 
had  fully  and  gallantly  executed  General  Early's  orders  and 
were  now  in  possession  of  the  Federal  stronghold  on  Ceme 
tery  Hill;  but  as  they  were  entirely  without  support  (that 
which  was  expected  having  failed  to  arrive),  and  the  routed 
Federals  having  been  heavily  reinforced,  they  were  soon 
compelled   to  retire  before  overwhelming   numbers.     This 


174  JOHN  ASHTON. 

was  done  in  a  deliberate   and  orderly  manner  and  with  but 
little  loss. 

Thus  for  lack  of  sufficient  support,  the  Confederates  had 
been  unable  to  hold  much  of  the  ground  which  they  had 
taken  from  a  superior  force  occupying  exceedingly  strong 
and  advantageous  positions.  However,  some  ground  had 
been  gained  on  the  right  by  General  Longstreet,  and  his 
troops  were  so  disposed  that  night  as  to  hold  it.  The 
result  of  that  day's  operations  induced  General  Lee  to  believe 
that,  with  proper  concert  of  action  and  with  the  increased 
support  which  the  positions  gained  on  the  right  would 
enable  the  artillery  to  render  the  assaulting  columns,  he 
would  ultimately  succeed  in  defeating  the  Federals;  and 
hence,  he  determined  to  renew  the  attack,  the  general  plan 
of  the  same  remaining  unchanged.  General  Longstreet,  re- 
inforced by  the  arrival  of  Pickett's  division,  was  ordered 
to  attack  the  next  morning,  and  General  Ewell  was  directed 
to  assail  the  enemy's  right  at  the  same  time.  On  the  fol- 
lowing morning  General  Longstreet,  instead  of  attacking 
the  Federals  in  front  as  was  contemplated  in  General  Lee's 
plan  of  attack,  arranged  for  renewing  the  attack  by  his 
right,  "with  a  view,"  as  he  saj'S  in  his  report,  "to  pass 
around  the  hill  occupied  b}'  the  enemy  on  his  left,  and  to 
gain  it  by  flank  and  reverse  attack,"  and  had  given  orders 
for  the  execution  of  this  plan,  when  General  Lee  reached 
him  and  ordered  that  the  assault  be  made  against  the 
main  position  of  the  Federals  on  Cemetery  Hill.  Before 
General  Ewell  could  be  notified  of  the  delay  in  General  Long- 
street's  dispositions  for  attacking  the  Federals,  General  Ed- 
ward Johnson  had  become  engaged,  and  it  was  too  late  to 
recall  him.  He  drove  the  Federals  out  of  part  of  their 
intrenchments  but  failed  to  carry  their  stronghold.  The 
contemplated  attack  on  their  left  not  having  been  made,  the 
Federals  were  enabled  to  hold  their  right  with  a  force 
much  larger  than  that  of  General  Johnson,  and  finally  to  so 
threaten  his  flank  and  rear  as  to  render  it  necessary  for  him 
to  retire  to  his  original  position.  As  there  was  a  force  on 
the  extreme  left  of  the  Federals  which  could  attack  General 
Longstreet's  troops  in  reverse  as  they  advanced,  he  thought 
it  necessary  to  protect  his  flank  and  rear  with   Hood's  and 


JOHN  ASIITON.  175 

McLaws'  divisions,  and  hence  he  was  reinforced  by  Heth's 
division  and  two  brigades  of  Pender's  division,  of  A.  P. 
Hill's  corps.  General  Hill  was  directed  to  hold  his  line  with 
the  remainder  of  his  corps,  "  afford  General  Longstreet 
further  assistance,  if  required,  and  avail  himself  of  any 
success  that  might  be  gained." 

About  1  p.  M.,  the  Confederate  artillery  opened  fire  along 
the  entire  line,  and  the    Federal  artillery    proraptlj'  replied. 

For  two  hours  an  incessant  and  unprecedentedly  terrific 
artillery  contest  was  waged  between  the  opposing  armies, 
and  before  its  close,  some  of  the  Federal  batteries  on  the 
left  had  been  silenced  and  a  number  of  those  at  and  near 
Cemetery  Hill  were  disabled  or  driven  off  and  had  to  be 
replaced  by  fresh  ones.  At  the  close  of  the  cannonade,  Gen-* 
eral  Longstreet  ordered  forward  the  column  of  attack, 
consisting  of  Pickett's  division  with  Wilcox's  brigade  in 
rear  of  its  right  flank  to  guard  the  same,  and  Heth's  divis- 
ion, under  General  James  J.  Pettigrew, supported  by  Lane's 
and  Scales'  brigades  of  Pender's  division,  commanded  by 
General  Isaac  R.  Trimble.  The  position  w^hich  they  were  to 
attack  was  the  Federal  stronghold  and  was  occupied  by  the 
1st  and  2d  corps  and  part  of  the  3d  corps,  with  other 
troops  in  supporting  distance.  The  Federals  not  only 
occupied  a  naturally  strong  position,  but  were  posted 
behind  barricades  erected  the  preceding  night,  and  rail  and 
stone  fences;  and  hence,  as  the  Confederates  had  to  pass 
over  open  ground  in  making  their  attack,  the  dangerous 
and  desperate  character  of  the  undertaking  in  which  this 
assaulting  column  of  about  twelve  thousand  men  was  to 
engage,  is  fully  apparent. 

At  the  word  of  command,  the  troops  promptly  began  to 
advance  and  moved  steadily  forward  to  within  seven  hun- 
dred yards  of  Cemetery  Hill,  when  the  Federal  artillery 
along  the  ridge  and  on  Round  Top  opened  upon  them  a  heavy 
fire  of  grape,  canister,  and  shell,  which  rapidly  thinned 
their  ranks.  Undaunted  by  this,  the  troops  quickly  closed 
up  the  gaps  in  their  ranks  and  continued  to  press  gallantly 
forward  in  almost  perfect  order,  although  they  had  to 
climb  several  high  fences  in  their  route,  and  soon  met  the 
advance  line  of   the  Federals    about  one  hundred  yards  in 


176  JOHN  ASIITON. 

front  of  the  second  line,  which  was  posted  behind  the  rail 
and  stone  fences  and  barricades  to  which  reference  has  been 
made.  The  front  line  of  the  Federals  was  quicklj  routed 
and  driven  back  in  confusion  on  the  second  line.  The  Con- 
federates continued  to  press  gallantly  and  steadily  forward 
under  a  destructive  fire  of  both  artillery  and  musketry, 
reached  the  strongly  intrenched  position  of  the  Federals  on 
Cemetery  Ridge,  engaged  them  in  a  hand-to-hand  conflict, 
broke  their  line  at  a  point  where  the  left  of  Pickett's  divis- 
ion and  Archer's  brigade,  of  Heth's division,  charged  in  con- 
cert and  planted  the  Confederate  flag  inside  their  works, 
where  General  L.  A.  Armistead  was  killed  at  the  head  of 
his  brigade,  General  R.  B.  Garnett  having  been  shot  from 
his  horse  just  outside  the  works.  The  success  of  the 
Confederates  was  but  momentary,  for  the  Federals  rapidly 
reinforced  their  broken  line  by  concentrating  at  that  point 
troops  from  both  sides  of  the  breach,  and,  by  a  front  and 
flank  attack  on  those  who  had  reached  the  v^'^orks,  soon 
overpowered  and  captured  the  greater  part  of  them,  as  they 
were  compelled  to  surrender  for  lack  of  a  supporting  force. 
That  force  would  have  been  at  hand  if  General  Lee's  direc- 
tions had  been  fully  carried  out,  and  it  appears  that  one 
who  has  assumed  to  criticise  that  matchless  military  leader 
for  ordering  the  assault  was  to  blame  for  the  absence  of 
such  supporting  force,  and  the  consequently  disastrous 
result  of  the  assault;  for  General  Longstreet  not  only 
failed  to  call  for  support  from  General  Hill,  who  had  been 
directed  to  "afford  him  further  assistance,  if  required,"  but 
also  checked  a  movement  which  was  about  to  be  made  by 
General  R.  H.  Anderson,  of  Hill's  corps,  for  the  purpose  of 
rendering  such  assistance,  as  is  shown  by  his  report  of  the 
engagement,  in  which  he  says:  "Wilcox's  and  Perry's 
brigades  had  been  moved  forward,  so  as  to  be  in  position 
to  render  assistance  or  take  advantage  of  any  success  gained 
by  the  assaulting  column,  and  at  what  I  supposed  to  be  the 
proper  time,  I  was  about  to  move  forward  Wright's  and 
Posey's  brigades,  when  Lieutenant-general  Longstreet 
directed  me  to  stop  the  movement,  adding  that  it  was  useless, 
and  would  only  involve  unnecessary  loss,  the  assault  hav- 
ing failed." 


JOHN  ASHTON.  177 

If  the  assaulting  column  had  received  from  Hill's  corps 
the  assistance  for  which  General  Lee's  instructions  pro- 
vided, and  General  Longstreet  had  at  the  same  time  moved 
forward  the  divisions  of  Hood  and  McLaws  against  the 
Federal  left  and  thereby  prevented  the  movement  of  troops 
from  that  point  to  aid  in  meeting  the  assault  upon  Ceme- 
tery Ridge,  instead  of  holding  those  divisions  in  reserve  "to 
defend  his  flank  and  rear,"  the  position  gained  by  the 
assaulting  column  would  have  been  held,  and  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg,  instead  of  resulting  in  a  repulse  of  the  Confed- 
erates, would  have  been  a  complete  victory  for  them ;  for 
Cemetery  Ridge  was  the  key  to  the  entire  Federal  line,  and 
its  possession  would  have  enabled  General  Lee  to  rout 
General  Meade's  army. 

The  brief  outline  which  we  have  given  of  the  gallant  but 
fruitless  assault  of  the  Confederates  on  the  Federal  strong- 
hold conveys  but  an  imperfect  idea  of  the  matchless  hero- 
ism displayed  by  that  comparatively  small  assaulting 
column  in  thus  storming  an  almost  impregnable  position, 
held  by  a  greatly  superior  force,  and  literally  lined  with 
artillery  which  was  constantl3'  pouring  a  heavy  fire  of  shot, 
shell,  and  canister  into  the  advancing  lines,  and  mowing 
wide  swaths  in  their  rapidly  decreasing  ranks.  Even  their 
enemies  were  moved  to  admiration  by  their  chivalrous  dar- 
ing, and  in  reporting  the  engagement,  paid  tributes  of 
praise  to  their  valor  and  heroism. 

General  W.  S.  Hancock  wrote:  "I  have  never  seen  a  more 
formidable  attack." 

General  John  Gibbon  wrote:  "The  line  moved  steadily  to 
the  front  in  a  way  to  excite  the  admiration  of  every  one." 

Colonel  Norman  J.  Hall  wrote:  "The  perfect  order  and 
steady  but  rapid  advance  of  the  enemy  called  forth  praise 
from  our  troops,  but  gave  their  line  an  appearance  of  being 
fearfully  irresistible." 

General  A.  S.  Webb  wrote:  "Their  march  was  as  steady 
as  if  impelled  by  machinery,  unbroken  by  our  artillery, 
which  played  upon  them  a  storm  of  missiles." 

General  Henry  J.  Hunt,  chief  of  artillery,  wrote:  "The 
enemy  advanced  magnificently,  unshaken   by  the   shot*and 


178  JOHN  ASHTON. 

shell  which  tore  through  his  ranks  from  his  front  and  from 
our  left." 

During  the  three  days'  fighting,  the  losses  were  heavy  on 
both  sides,  those  of  the  Confederates  being  two  thousand 
five  hundred  and  ninety-two  killed,  twelve  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  nine  wounded,  and  five  thousand  one  hundred 
and  fifty  captured  or  missing;  and  those  of  the  Federals 
being  three  thousand  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  killed,  four- 
teen thousand  four  hundred  and  twenty-nine  wounded,  and 
five  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty-five  captured  or 
missing.  The  Federal  force  greatly  outnumbered  that  of 
the  Confederates,  being  one  hundred  and  four  thousand 
strong;  while  the  strength  of  the  latter  was  about  sixty- 
eight  thousand. 

Owing  to  the  great  strength  of  the  Federal  position  and 
the  scarcity  of  ammunition,  General  Lee  would  not  risk 
another  attack,  and  as  it  was  exceedingly  difficult  to 
procure  supplies,  it  was  impossible  for  the  army  to  continue 
longer  where  it  was.  Hence,  after  remaining  at  Gettysburg 
during  July  4th,  the  Confederate  army  began  to  retire 
toward  the  Potomac  that  night.  On  reaching  the  Potomac, 
General  Lee  found  that  it  was  greatly  swollen  and  unford- 
able  in  consequence  of  recent  rains,  and  that  a  pontoon 
bridge  which  he  had  left  at  Falling  Waters  had  been  par- 
tially destroyed  by  the  Federals.  Hence,  his  army  had  to 
await  the  subsiding  of  the  waters,  and  the  construction  of 
a  new  pontoon  bridge  before  a  passage  of  the  river  could 
be  effected.  They  were  thus  detained  for  four  or  five  days, 
having  occasional  skirmishes  with  the  advance  troops  of  the 
Federals,  and  on  July  12th  the  main  body  of  GeneralMeade's 
army  arrived.  The  Confederate  army  at  once  took  a  posi- 
tion, previouslj'  selected  by  General  Lee,  covering  the  Poto- 
mac from  "Williamsport  to  Falling  Waters,  and  there 
remained  for  two  days  awaiting  an  attack  from  the 
Federals;  but  the  latter,  instead  of  attacking,  prepared  for 
an  expected  attack  from  the  former  by  throwingupintrench- 
ments  along  their  entire  line.  By  July  13th  the  river  at 
Williamsport,  although  still  deep,  had  become  fordable,  and 
the  bridge  at  Falling  Waters  had  been  completed;  and 
as  further  delay  would  have  enabled  the  Federals  to  obtain 


JOUN  ASUTON.  179 

reinforcements,  General  Lee  decided  to  await  an  attack 
no  longer,  and  gave  orders  for  the  passage  of  the  Potomac 
that  night.  During  that  night  and  the  following  day,  the 
Confederate  army  safely  crossed  the  river,  Ewell's  corps 
fording  it  at  Williamsport  and  Hill's  and  Longstreet's 
corps  crossing  on  the  pontoon  bridge  at  Falling  Waters. 
After  resting  several  days  near  Bunker  Hill  and  Darkesville, 
the  atmy  retired  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  crossed  the 
Blue  Ridge,  and  on  August  4th  took  position  along  the 
Rapidan. 

During  this  retrograde  movement,  the  division   to   which 
Carrington   belonged   was     ordered    to   Manassas    Gap    to 
relieve  Wright's  brigade,  which  was  holding  the  gap  against 
a  large  attacking  force  supported  by  two  corps  of  the  Fed- 
eral army.     General  Rodes'  sharpshooters  (about  two  hun- 
dred   and    fifty    men)  were   promptly    sent   to    strengthen 
General  Wright's  line,  and  O'Neal's    brigade   was  deployed 
behind  Wright's    brigade  about  three   hundred  yards  in  his 
rear.  The  Federals  in  large  force  attacked  and  slowly  drove 
back  the  front  line  of   skirmishers  for  a  short  distance;  but 
were  soon  checked  by  the  stubborn    fighting  and   fatal  fire 
of  this  handful  of  gallant  men,    who  frequently   broke  the 
solid  lines  of  the  enemy,  and  finally    a  few   shots  from    the 
artillery   completely  stopped  their  advance    and   ended  the 
engagement.     During  that  night,  Rodes'  division    fell  back 
and  bivouacked  near    Front    Royal.     From    this    point    it 
resumed  the  backward   march,   crossed  the   Blue  Ridge   at 
Thornton's  Gap,  and  reached  Madison  Court-houseon  July 
29th,  and  thus  ended  the  part  taken  by  this   division  in  the 
Gettysburg    campaign.     While    all     of    the    troops      who 
engaged  in    this  celebrated   and  exceptionally   trying  cam- 
paign under  the  leadership  of  the   matchless  Lee  won  great 
renown,  none  are  deserving  of   more  honor  and  praise  than 
the  brave  and  gallant  Georgians,   Alabamians,   and  North 
Carolinians,  who  constituted    Rodes'  division.     They   were 
almost  constantly  on  the  march,  or  engaged  in  fighting,  for 
six  consecutive  weeks,  and  even  when  they  crossed  the  Blue 
Ridge  at  Chester's  Gap  on  June  12th  in  the  forward  move- 
ment many  of  the  men  were  barefooted,  and  long  before  they 
recrossed   it  at  Thornton's  Gap  nearly  half  of  the  men  and 


J  80  JOHN  ASHTON. 

many  of  the  officers  were  in  like  condition.  Notwithstand- 
ing this  and  the  fact  that  they  had  to  travel  over  rough  and 
rocky  roads  during  the  hottest  days  of  summer,  these  shoe- 
less heroes,  with  bruised  and  bleeding  feet,  kept  up  with  the 
moving  column,  and  in  ranks,  during  its  rapid  march,  and, 
when  they  had  opportunity  for  so  doing,  fought  with 
dauntless  courage  and  unabated  zeal  and  enthusiasm. 

The  names  and  fame  of  Pickett's  and  Heth's  divisions 
and  Lane's  and  Scales'  brigades  of  Pender's  division  are 
inseparably  connected  with  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  and 
their  intrepid  charge  against  the  Federal  stronghold  on 
Cemetery  Hill,  on  Juh'  3d,  has  justly  iminortali;^ed  them; 
and  alongside  of  their  heroic  deeds  should  be  recorded  in 
the  annals  of  war  the  impetuous  charges  and  determined 
assaults  made  by  Rodes'  division,  under  a  heavy  fire  of 
artillery,  on  the  dense  masses  of  infantry  pressing  it  in 
front  and  flank  on  July  1st,  and  by  means  of  which  a 
force  greatly  outnumbering  this  division  was  completely 
repulsed,  and,  by  the  aid  of  the  brigades  of  the  gallant 
John  B.  Gordon  and  Harry  T.  Hays  and  Hoke's  brigade 
led  by  the  brave  and  lamented  Colonel  Isaac  E.  Avery,  was 
routed  and  driven  back  through  Gettysliurg  and  compelled 
to  take  shelter  behind  their  intrenchments  on  Cemetery  Hill. 

General  Lee  witnessed  the  attack  made  by  Rodes'  division 
on  that  occasion,  and  afterward  said  to  its  brave  com- 
mander, "I  am  proud  of  vour  division."  Such  praise  from  the 
lips  of  that  peerless  chieftain  was  proof  of  the  dauntless 
courage  and  hardy  heroism  of  those  on  whom  it  was 
bestowed.  These  were  the  true  and  valiant  soldiers  whom 
Captain  Carrington  helped  to  command,  and  the  examples 
of  fortitude,  bravery,  and  patriotic  devotion  set  by  officers 
like  himself  greatly  aided  in  making  these  soldiers  what 
they  were. 

Carrington  had  written  Bertha  several  letters  after  leav- 
ing Culpeper  Court-house  on  June  10th,  and  she  had  an- 
swered them,  but  none  of  her  letters  had  yet  reached  him,  as 
many  letters  for  the  Confederate  soldiers  were  not  for- 
warded while  the  army  was  in  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania, 
and  these  happened  to  be  among  the  number.  However,  in 
a   day  or  two  after   Carrington   reached  Madison  Court- 


JOHN  ASUTON.  181 

house,  Tie  received  the  letters  and  immediately  devoured 
their  contents  with  an  avidity  and  a  delight  known  only  to 
the  impassioned  and  heart-hungry  lover.  Yielding  to  the 
promptings  of  her  impulsive  and  affectionate  nature, 
Bertha  had  written  with  perfect  abandon  and  put  her 
whole  heart  in  her  letters,  and  hence  they  gave  full  exjDres- 
sion  to  her  ardent  and  absorbing  love  for  him  to  whom 
they  were  addressed,  and  manifested  the  deepest  and  ten- 
derest  solicitude  for  the  safety  and  happiness  of  her  lover. 
Carrington  was  deeply  touched  by  this  manifestation  of 
Bertha's  love  and  devotion  and,  realizing  more  fully  than 
ever  before  the  rich  blessing  that  he  had  received  in  the  gift 
of  that  pure  and  unselfish  love,  his  heart  was  filled  with 
happiness.  He  at  once  wrote  Bertha  a  long  and  loving 
letter  in  which  he  endeavored  to  give  her  some  idea  of  how 
completel}'  his  love  for  her  had  taken  possession  of  his  na- 
ture and  become  a  part  of  his  being,  and  told  of  the  sweet 
contentment  and  perfect  happiness  that  had  come  into  his 
life  through  the  medium  of  her  love,  and  of  his  ever-present 
Hnd  yearning  desire  to  make  her  supremely  happy.  In  clos- 
ing his  letter,  he  urged  her  to  visit  her  cousin  in  Richmond, 
as  soon  as  possible,  stating  that  if  she  should  do  so  he 
would  obtain  a  short  leave  of  absence  from  his  command 
and  visit  her  while  she  was  there.  On  receipt  of  this  letter, 
Bertha  wrote  Carrington  that  she  would  visit  Ruth  the 
last  of  August  or  the  first  of  September. 

We  will  now  return  to  Ashton,  whom  we  left  listening  to 
Ruth's  account  of  Bertha's  love  affair  and  subsequent 
experience  in  Richmond.  He  was  greatly  interested  in  all 
that  she  told  him  about  her  cousin  and  Captain  Carrington, 
and  especially  so  in  regard  to  the  experience  which  they  had 
at  Hollywood  Cemetery  that  led  to  the  detection  and 
capture  of  the  Federal  spy.  Sergeant  Paul,  alias  Edward 
Craft.  Although  Ashton  abhorred  the  occupation  of  a  sp3' 
and  utterly  despised  those  who  engaged  in  it,  yet,  after 
hearing  of  Craft's  confession,  the  reasons  given  by  him  for 
having  engaged  in  that  calling,  and  the  steps  which  he  took 
to  prevent  his  family  from  learning  of  his  conduct  and 
fate,  he  could  not  avoid  feeling  a  species  of  admiration  for 
him,  and  expressed  the  opinion  that  he  did   not  think   that 


182  JOHN  AS  ETON. 

Craft  was  an  utterly  depraved  man,  as  he  appeared  to 
have  been  actuated  by  no  sinister  or  sordid  motive  in 
what  he  had  done.  Ruth  agreed  with  him  in  this  opinion, 
spoke  of  Craft's  attractive  social  qualities,  and  stated  that 
she  had  really  regretted  his  death. 

Ashton's  wound  did  not  heal  very  rapidly  and  was  occa- 
sionally somewhat  troublesome;  but  he  did  not  become 
disheartened  or  worry  himself  about  his  condition,  for, 
being  cheered  and  made  happy  by  the  daily  companionship 
of  Ruth,  he  was  content  to  patiently  await  the  results  of 
the  combined  agencies  of  science  and  nature  in  their  cura- 
tive processes.  It  was  about  the  first  of  September  and 
nearh^  two  months  after  he  was  wounded  before  he  had 
sufficiently  recovered  from  .the  effects  of  his  wound  to 
authorize  his  discharge  from  the  hospital.  He  was  still 
unfit  for  active  service,  and,  having  obtained  from  the  sur- 
geon a  certificate  to  that  effect  and  a  recommendation  for  a 
thirty  days'  furlough,  he  sent  the  same  to  the  captain  of 
his  company,  and  shortly  thereafter  received  the  furlough 
thus  recommended.  After  leaving  the  hospital,  he  secured 
a  pleasant  boarding-place  in  the  city  and,  of  course,  became 
a  constant  visitor  at  Mrs.  Slaughter's  residence,  where 
Ruth  was  still  boarding. 

About  this  time  Bertha  arrived  on  her  contemplated  visit, 
and  a  few  days  thereafter  Carrington  came  to  the  city  in 
accordance  with  his  previously  expressed  purpose  of  visit- 
ing her.  The  avidity  and  constancy'  with  which  they 
mutually  monopolized  each  other's  society  at  once  indicated 
that  they  intended  to  fully  utilize  in  heart-communion  the 
short  leave  of  absence  which  Carrington  had  obtained.  The 
meeting  of  two  such  men  as  Ashton  and  Carrington  would 
have  naturally  been  cordial  under  ordinary  circumstances, 
and  it  was  especially  so  in  view  of  the  relations  which  they 
respectively  sustained  to  Ruth  and  Bertha,  and  the  fact 
that  they  had  thereby  been  brought  into  close  companion- 
ship from  widely  different  branches  of  the  army.  They  at 
once  became  good  friends,  and  when  opportunity  offered, 
found  great  pleasure  in  exchanging  recitals  of  their  re- 
spective experiences  in  the  Pennsylvania  campaign.  In  this 
w  ly  they  learned  that  they  had  fought  in  close  proximity 


JOHN  ASllTON.  183 

to  each  other  during  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  when  Stuart's 
cavalry  was  immediately  on  the  left  of  Ewell's  corps  and 
protected  it  from  the  attempted  flank  movement  of  the 
Federals. 

Ruth  and  Bertha  were  greatly  interested  in  these  conver- 
sations between  their  lovers,  and  their  hearts  throbbed 
with  enthusiasm  and  their  minds  were  filled  with  admira- 
tion when  they  heard  of  the  gallant  and  impetuous  attacks 
made  by  the  Confederates  upon  the  Federals,  and  which  fell 
short  of  final  success  because  of  inadequate  supporting 
force  resulting  from  a  failure  to  fully  execute  General  Lee's 
orders. 

The  days  passed  swiftly  by,  and  all  too  soon  for  the  hap- 
piness of  Bertha  and  Carrington  the  latter's  leave  of 
absence  expired,  and  the  time  for  his  departure  arrived. 
With  the  assurance  that  she  should  hear  from  him  frequently, 
and  the  promise  that  he  would  visit  her  as  soon  as  possible, 
he  returned  to  his  regiment  about  the  middle  of  September. 
Although  Bertha  was  naturally  saddened  and  depressed  by 
his  departure,  she  bore  it  better  than  she  had  borne  their 
former  separation,  as  there  was  not  at  this  time  any  indi- 
cation of  an  impending  battle,  and  hence  she  did  not  think 
of  Carrington  as  exposed  to  immediate  danger,  as  when  he 
started  on  the  Pennsylvania  campaign  three  months  before. 
She  had  resumed  the  work  of  assisting  Ruth  at  the  hos- 
pital, and  now  devoted  herself  assiduously  to  the  discharge 
of  the  duties  incident  to  the  same.  Indeed,  she  insisted  on 
doing  the  greater  part  of  Ruth's  work,  and  thereby  gave 
the  latter  more  opportunities  than  she  would  have  other- 
wise had  for  being  with  Ashton,  and,  moreover,  kept  her 
own  time  and  attention  so  constantly  occupied  in  minister- 
ing to  her  patients,  that  she  was  prevented  from  morbidly 
dwelling  on  the  sadness  caused  by  the  departure  of  her 
lover.  Both  Ashton  and  Ruth  fully  appreciated  this  gener- 
ous thoughtfulness  and  solicitude  for  their  happiness  and 
were  deeply  grateful  to  Bertha  for  the  same.  In  conse- 
quence of  Ruth's  partial  relief  from  her  hospital  duties,  she 
and  Ashton  were  enabled  to  spend  a  considerable  portion  of 
each  day  in  private  conversations  that  were  in  all  respects 
real  heart-and-soul  communions,  which  not  only   intensified 


184  JOHN  ASHTON. 

and  strengthened  their  love,  but  also  revealed  to  each  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  other's  character.  Ashton  had 
thought  that  he  already  understood  Ruth's  character, 
but  during  these  happy  days  when,  in  consequence  of  Jier 
warm  and  trustful  love,  her  inmost  soul  was  revealed  to 
him,  he  felt  that  he  had  but  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  beauty 
and  worth  of  her  moral  nature,  wherein  breadth  and  depth 
of  thought,  refinement  and  tenderness  of  feeling,  and 
warmth  and  unselfishness  of  affection  combined  to  make 
the  perfect  woman.  In  her  he  found  his  heart's  high  ideal 
fully  realized  ;  her  companionship  and  love  entirely  satisfied 
the  wants  and  longings  of  his  nature  and  he  was  perfectly 
happy.  She  was  also  supremely  happy,  for,  in  his  noble 
character,  embodying  loftiness  of  purpose,  strength,  depth 
and  tenderness  of  feeling  and  ardehcy  of  affection,  she  had 
found  her  ideal  of  true  manhood  and  her  soul  was  satisfied. 
Being  thus  happy  in  each  other's  companionship  and  love, 
Ashton  and  Ruth  were  almost  obliviousof  the  flight  of  time, 
and  about  the  first  of  October  they  experienced  a  painful 
shock  on  realizing  that  his  furlough  would  expire  in  a  few 
days.  His  wound  had  healed,  but  occasionally  he  felt  some 
unpleasantness  from  its  effects  and  was  not  fully  fitted  for 
active  service.  However,  he  was  unwilling  to  ask  for  an 
extension  of  his  furlough  and  determined  that  at  its  expira- 
tion he  would  promptly  return  to  his  regiment.  His  fur- 
lough extended  to  October  6th,  and  on  October  5th  he  left 
Richmond  to  rejoin  his  regiment.  The  parting  between  him 
and  Ruth  was  exceedingly  painful,  but  as  duty  called  him 
to  the  front,they  bore  it  uncomplainingly,  and  neither  would 
have  had  it  delayed  at  the  expense  of  loyalty  to  the  cause 
in  which  he  was  engaged. 


JOHN  ASHTON.  185 


CHAPTER  Xiri. 

Ashton  reached  his  regiment  the  day  after  he  left  Rich- 
mond and  found  it  encamped  on  the  right  of  General  Lee's 
army  near  the  Rapidan  river.  After  exchanging  cordial 
greetings  with  the  members  of  his  company  and  receiving 
their  hearty  congratulations  on  his  recovering  from  the 
effects  of  his  wound,  he  at  once  made  inquiry  about  his 
horse,  and  was  delighted  to  learn  that  the  animal  vv-as 
brought  safely  to  camp  on  the  return  of  the  army  from 
Maryland,  had  since  been  well  cared  for  by  one  of  Ash- 
ton's  comrades  and  was  now  in  excellent  condition. 

The  true  cavalryman  is  always  attached  to  his  horse,  and 
Ashton  was  especially  fond  of  his,  both  on  account  of  the 
faithful  service  which  it  had  rendered  him  and  the  peculiar 
circumstances  under  which  it  had  come  into  his  possession; 
for  it  was  none  other  than  Mosby's  parting  gift  to  him  just 
after  his  rescue  from  the  Federal  picket  near  Fox's  Ford. 

At  this  time  the  Confederate  army  occupied  a  position 
along  the  south  side  of  the  Rapidan  river,  and  the  P'ederal 
army,  under  General  Meade,  was  lying  around  Culpeper 
Court-house  and  extended  to  the  north  side  of  the  Rapidan. 
There  was  nothing  to  indicate  that  a  general  movement 
of  either  army  was  imminent,  and  Ashton  looked  forward 
to  no  other  occurrences  than  those  incident  to  the  usual 
routine  of  camp  life  and  picket  duty.  However, 
"Marse  Robert,"  as  his  soldiers  affectionately  called  General 
Lee,  was  maturing  a  plan  which  would  soon  put  the  entire 
army  in  motion.  That  plan  was  to  bring  on  a  general 
engagement  with  Meade,  and  in  order  to  increase  the 
chances  of  success,  General  Lee  determined  to  turn  Meade's 
right  flank  and  strike  him  in  the  rear.  Hence,  in  pursuance 
of  this  plan,  the  infantry  and  artillery  of  the  army  marched 
toward  Madison  Court-house  on  October  9th,  and  on  the 
following  day  proceeded  by  a  circuitous  route  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Culpeper  Court-house,  which  was  reached  on  Octo- 
ber 11th,  when  it  was  discovered  that  the  Federal  army  had 
retreated  toward  Washington  along  the  line  of  the  Orange 
and  Alexandria  railroad.     General  Lee  made  another  effort 


186  JOUN  ASHTON. 

to  engage  General  Meade  by  crossing  the  Rappahannock 
and  pressing  forward  through  Warrenton,  but  the  latter 
continued  his  retreat  to  Centreville,  and  there  intrenched 
his  army.  In  the  meantime  the  Confederate  cavalry  had 
not  experienced  the  same  difficulty  as  the  main  body  of  the 
army  in  meeting  the  Federals,  and  had  had  a  series  of 
engagements  with  them. 

As  Ashton  took  part  in  several  of  these,  we  will  give  some 
account  of  the  operations  of  the  cavah'y  in  this  forward 
movement.  On  October  10th,Buford's  division  of  cavalry 
crossed  the  Rapidan  at  Germanna  Ford  and,  after  captur- 
ing a  portion  of  a  company  of  the  1st  Mar3dand  cavalry  of 
Lomax's  brigade,  moved  up  the  river  toward  Morton's 
Ford.  General  Fitzhugh  Lee  (who  had  recently  been  made 
a  major-general),  with  his  division,  consisting  of  Lomax's 
brigade,  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  brigade,  commanded  by  Colonel 
John  R.  Chambliss,  and  Wickham's  brigade, commanded  by 
Colonel  T.  H.  Owen  and  also  with  Johnson's  brigade  of 
infantry,  attacked  the  Federals  early  on  the  morning  of 
October  11th.  Lee's  and  Lomax's  brigades  moved  directly 
against  them,  and  General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  with  Wickham's 
and  the  infantry  brigade  crossed  the  river  at  Raccoon  Ford 
and  moved  down  upon  their  flank  and  rear.  Lomax  and 
Chambliss  drove  the  Federals  across  the  river  at  Morton's 
Ford,  and  pressed  them  closely  in  their  rapid  retreat 
toward  Stevensburg.  At  this  place  they  attempted  to  make 
a  stand,  but  W(.re  promptly'  dislodged  from  their  position 
and  driven  back  to  Brandy  Station.  On  reaching  Brandy 
Station,  General  Fitzhugh  Lee  found  a  portion  of  Hamp- 
ton's division,  under  command  of  General  Stuart,  engaged 
with  General  Kilpatrick's  division  and  a  part  of  General 
Gregg's  division,  and  at  once  joined  in  the  engagement. 
Colonel  Chambliss  ordered  Major  Waller,  commanding  the 
9th  Virginia  cavalry,  to  charge  the  Federals,  and  it  was 
gallantly  and  vigorously  done.  Thus,  before  Ashton  had 
fully  recovered  from  the  effects  of  his  wound,  he  was  again 
actively  engaged  in  battle,  and  participated  in  this  charge 
with  his  wonted  spirit  and  gallantry.  This  charge  was 
followed  by  another  by  the  13th  Virginia  cavalry,  and  the 
Federals  were  driven  back   wnth  loss.     General   Stuart  and 


JOHN  ASUTON.  187 

General  Fit^hugh  Lee,  having  united  their  forces,  advanced 
on  the  Federals  at  Fleetwood  Heights,  where  the  forces  of 
Buford  and  Kilpatrick  had  also  been  united,  and  a  fierce 
and  obstinate  engagement  there  ensued.  The  fighting  be- 
came general  and  there  were  a  series  of  charges  and  counter- 
charges made  in  rapid  succession,  the  regiments  of  Lomax's 
brigade  making  no  less  than  five  in  one  part  of  the  field, 
while  the  Confederate  sharpshooters  were  constantly  en- 
gaged with  the  enemy  on  foot.  At  times  these  sharp- 
shooters were  entirely  surrounded  by  the  Federal  cavalry 
but  would  not  surrender  and,  bravely  defending  themselves, 
were  each  time  rescued  by  the  well-directed  charges  of  the 
Confederate  cavalry. 

The  Federals  were  finally  routed  and  driven  back  toward 
the  Rappahannock,  which  they  crossed  that  night.  The 
day  had  been  won  by  the  Confederates  by  fierce,  persistent, 
and  skillful  fighting,  in  which  the  9th  Virginia  cavalry  fully 
boreits  part,  and  Ashton.both  in  the  saddle  and  on  foot,  ren- 
dered gallant  and  efficient  service.  On  the  following  morn- 
ing General  Stuart  left  the  5th  Virginia  cavalry,  under  Col- 
onel T.  L.  Rosser,  and  one  piece  of  artillery  below  Fleetwood 
for  the  purpose  of  meeting  any  advance  that  might  be 
made  by  the  Federals  toward  Culpeper  Court-house,  and 
proceeded  with  Fitzhugh  Lee's  division  and  Funsten's  and 
Gordon's  brigades  toward  Warrenton.  After  a  brief  but 
hot  engagement  at  Jeffersonton  between  the  7th  and  12th 
Virginia  cavalry  and  a  regiment  of  Federal  cavalry,  in 
which  the  latter  was  completely  routed.  General  Stuart 
pushed  forward  to  the  Rappahannock  river  and  forced  a 
passage  of  the  stream  at  Warrenton  Springs,  the  12th 
Virginia  cavalry  charging  across  the  river  in  a  gallant  man- 
ner in  the  face  of  a  heavy  fire  from  the  Federals  on  the  op- 
posite side.  This  charge  was  especially  creditable  to  those 
who  participated  in  the  same,  as  it  was  made  under 
peculiarly  trying  circumstances.  The  regiment  expected  to 
cross  the  river  on  the  bridge  at  this  point,  but  on  charging 
up  to  it,  discovered  that  the  flooring  had  been  taken  up  and 
that  the  bridge  was  impassable.  Although  the  troops  were 
exposed  to  a  heavy  fire  from  the  Federals  across  the  river, 
thevdid  not  become  confused  or  waver  in  their  purpose,  but 


188  JOHN  ASHTON. 

turned  to  the  right,  dashed  down  the  road  to  the  ford 
below,  plunged  into  the  stream,  and  pushed  rapidly  across 
under  a  heavy  fire  from  the  Federal  sharpshooters,  a  num- 
ber of  whom  were  captured  before  they  could  make  their 
escape.  General  Stuart  soon  had  the  bridge  repaired  for 
the  passage  of  the  infantry,  and  sent  Funsten's  and  Gordon's 
brigades  to  Warrenton,  where  they  bivouacked  that  night. 

During  that  day  Colonel  P.  M.B.Young,  of  Cobb's  Legion, 
commanding  Hampton's  old  brigade,  was  the  hero  of  an 
engagement  which  occurred  near  Brandy  Station,  and  in 
view  of  the  boldness  and  success  of  Colonel  Young's  con- 
duct and  the  important  results  thereby  accomplished,  we 
trust  that  the  reader  will  indulge  us  in  an  account  of  the 
same.  On  October  10th,  General  Stuart  engaged  the  Fed- 
erals nearly  all  day  near  James  City  with  Gordon's  and 
Young's  brigades,  and  ascertaining  the  next  morning  that 
they  had  retreated,  he  marched  toward  Culpeper  Court- 
house with  Gordon's  brigade,  leaving  Colonel  Young  to  hold 
his  position  at  James  City  until  further  orders.  Colonel 
Young  remained  there  until  the  morning  of  October  12th. 
and  then  in  obedience  to  orders  received  from  General  Stuart, 
proceeded  to  Culpeper  Court-house.  He  arrived  there  about 
3  p.  M.,  and  just  after  the  head  of  his  column  entered  the 
town  firing  was  heard  in  the  direction  of  Brandy  Station, 
and  a  courier  from  Colonel  T.  L.  Rosser,  of  the  5th  Virginia 
cavalry,  reported  that  the  Federals  were  advancing  in 
heavy  force  from  Brandy  Station,  having  driven  Colonel 
Rosser  back  from  below  Fleetwood,  where,  as  the  reader 
will  remember.  General  Stuart  had  left  him  with  his  regi- 
ment and  one  piece  of  artillery  the  day  before. 

A  few  moments  before  the  firing  was  heard,  the  column 
had  halted,  many  of  the  troopers  had  dismounted  and  details 
were  being  made  to  be  sent  out  after  provisions  for  the 
men,  who  were  really  suffering  from  hunger,  as  no  rations 
had  been  issued  to  them  that  day.  At  the  sound  of  the 
firing,  the  troopers  hastily  remounted  their  horses,  the  column 
was  instantly  put  in  motion  and  galloped  rapidly  through 
Culpeper  and  on  toward  Brandy  Station.  As  it  passed  at 
rapid  speed  and  with  clattering  noise  over  the  rocky  streets  of 
Culpeper,  the  horsemen  were  greeted    all  along  the   way  by 


JOHN  ASHTON.  189 

the  sight  of   lovely  and    loyal  ladies  at  almost  every  door- 
way enthusiastically  waving  their  handkerchiefs,  clapping 
their  hands,    and   smiling    approval   on   the    men   in  gray. 
Dashing  out  of  the  town,  with  no  slackening  of  their  speed, 
the  Confederate  cavalry  rode  rapidly  on  in  the  direction  of  the 
firing,  which  was  each   moment   becoming  heavier   and  ap- 
proaching nearer   to   Culpeper.     Riding   at  this   rapid  pace 
for  about  two  miles,  the  Confederates  reached   a  wooded 
ridge   called    Slaughter's   Hill   and  Colonel   Young  quickly 
deployed  his  brigade  along  the   ridge,  his  right  resting    on 
the   Orange  and    Alexandria    railroad,    dismounted    about 
three-fourths  of  the  command   as  sharpshooters,    and  had 
five  pieces  of  artillery  placed  at  intervals  along  the  ridge  so 
as  to  sweep  the  road  to  Brandy  Station  and  both  flanks  of 
the  Federals,  who  were  seen  advancing    from  the    direction 
ot    Brandy    Station    in    heavy    force.     They     had    driven 
Colonel  Rosser  back  some  distance  and  were   closely  press- 
ing him  when  Colonel  Young  arrived,  and  just  as  the  latter 
got  his  brigade  in  position,    Colonel  Rosser's   regiment  fell 
back  on  Cobb's  Legion  and  formed  in  the  rear  of  the  latter 
regiment,  which  was  on  the  extreme  right  of   Young's  line, 
and  supporting  a  battery  stationed  in  the    Brandy    Station 
road  near  the  edge  of  a  heav3'  body  of  woods.    At  this  time 
Colonel  Young,  who  had  just  galloped  down  his    line  from 
the  left,  halted  in  frontof  Cobb's  Legion,  made  a  short  and 
stirring  speech  to  the  men,  which  set  them  to  cheering  in    a 
loud  and  enthusiastic   manner,  and   then  galloped    back  to 
the  left  of  the  line,  which  was  about  a  mile  in    length.     The 
cheering  begun    by  Cobb's  Legion  was   taken  up   and  con- 
tinued by  the  whole  brigade  as   Colonel  Young   rode  along 
the  line,  and  its  heartiness  and   volume  were  calculated  to 
impress  the  Federals  with  the   idea  that   at  least    an  army 
corps  confronted  them,  whereas  the  brigade  numbered  only 
about  twelve  hundred  men.     The  Federal  force,  as   was  af- 
terward   ascertained,    consisted    of   Buford's     division    of 
cavalry,  several   pieces  of   artillery,  and    the  5th    and  6th 
corps  of    infantry,    under   General    Sedgwick,     numbering 
twenty-five  thousand  men ;  and  hence  the    reader  will   un- 
derstand that  Colonel  Young  was  playing  a  bluff  game  in 
presenting  such  a  bold   front  to   this   overwhelming  force. 


190  JOHN  ASHTON. 

Just  after  Colonel  Rosser's  regiment  was  driven  back  on 
Young's  line,  the  Federals  advanced  in  large  force,  their 
front  consisting  of  a  heavy  line  of  infantry  skirmishers 
and  their  center  and  flanks  supported  by  heavy  columns 
of  cavalry.  They  were  met  and  temporarily  checked  by  a 
volley  from  the  dismounted  sharpshooters  and  a  well-di- 
rected fire  of  the  Confederate  artillery.  The  skirmishing 
then  became  general  along  the  line,  and  in  accordance  with 
instructions  from  Colonel  Young,  a  constant  fire  was  kept 
up  by  the  artillery. 

In  a  few  minutes,  a  heavy  force  of  Federals  charged  on 
foot  through  the  woods  on  the  right,  and  came  within  a 
short  distance  of  the  edge  of  the  timber,  the  noise  of  their 
many  feet  upon  the  leaves  with  which  the  ground  was 
thickly  covered  resembling  the  sound  of  a  tempest  sweeping 
through  a  forest  in  Autumn.  On  they  came,  shouting  their 
"hip,  hip,  hurrahs"  in  varied  tones  of  unequal  volume,  but 
the  gallant  sharphooters  of  Cobb's  Legion  were  calmly 
awaiting  them,  and  when  the  Federals  arrived  within  short 
range  of  this  little  band  of  sharpshooters,  tlie  latter  raised 
the  wild  Confederate  3'ell  and  poured  a  volley  into  their 
ranks  which  effectually  checked  their  farther  advance. 
They  had  come  so  close  to  the  battery  which  Cobb's  Legion 
was  supporting  that  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  gun,  fear- 
ing that  it  would  be  captured,  ordered  it  limbered  up  and 
started  to  move  it.  At  this  moment  Colonel  Y^oung  came 
galloping  down  the  line  at  full  speed  and,  when  in  about 
forty  yards  of  the  retiring  gun,  called  to  the  officer  in 
charge  of  the  same,  saying:  "Where  are  you  going  with 
that  gun?  Bring  it  back  at  once."  When  Colonel  Young 
reached  him,  the  officer  explained  his  conduct  by  telling  of 
the  close  proximity  of  the  enem\'and  the  consequent  danger 
of  the  capture  of  the  gun.  Colonel  Young  instantly  replied, 
"Unhmber  that  gun  and  put  it  in  position,"  and  when  this 
was  done,  he  said:  "Now  fire  that  gun,  and  keep  firing  it. 
It  don't  make  a  bit  of  difference  whether  or  not  you  see 
anything.     I  want  a  noise  kept  up  here." 

His  command  was  literally  and  faithfully  obeyed,  and 
never  was  a  gun  better  served  or  more  rapidly  fired  than 
that  one  from  then  until  dark,   and  although   the  gunners 


JOUN  ASHTON.  191 

■were  often  without  a  visible  target,  the  gun  was  incessantly 
fired  and  a  continuous  noise  kept  up  at  that  point.  The 
artillery  fire  and  sharpshooting  continued  until  night,  and, 
immediately  after  dark, in  obedience  to  orders  from  Colonel 
Young,  the  troops  built  hundreds  of  fires  all  along  the  line 
of  battle  and  kept  them  burning  through  the  night.  The 
Federals  retreated  during  the  night,  the  infantry  crossing  the 
Rappahannock  at  12  o'clock  and  the  cavalry  about  day- 
light. The  object  of  this  movement  on  the  part  of  the 
Federals  and  the  force  engaged  in  the  same,  will  be  seen 
from  the  following  cop}'  of  an  order  received  that  day  by 
General  Buford : 

"(Orders.)  Headquarters  A.rmy  of  the  Potomac, 

October  12,  1863,10:30  a.m. 

"Major-general  Sedgwick  will,  in  addition  to  his  own 
corps,  take  command  of  the  5th  corps  and  Buford's  divis- 
ion of  cavalry  and  advance  immediately  to  Brandy  Station 
and  take  position  at  the  heights  there,  driving  the  enemy 
and  holding  the  position.  He  will  report  his  progress  to 
the  commanding  general,  and  also  the  force,  position  and 
movements  of  the  enemy. 

"By  command  of  Major-general  Meade. 

S.  Williams, 
Assistant  Adjutant-general. 

"Official  copy  furnished  for  General  Buford's  informa- 
tion. 

"By  command  of  Major-general  Pleasanton. 

"C.  C.  Suydam, 
"Assistant  Adjutant-general." 

In  his  official  report  of  tlie  movement,  General  Buford 
says: 

"At  12  m.,  the  division  was  across  the  river  again  and  in 
motion.  After  advancing  about  two  miles,  the  enemy's 
pickets  were  driven  in,  and  the  advance  command  skirmish- 
ing with  the  enemy.  Finding  his  force  insignificant,  a 
general  advance  was  ordered,  and  he  was  driven  to  one  and 
one-half  miles  of  Culpeper.  The  object  of  the  expedition- 
being  accomplished,  the  division  returned  and  bivouacked 
on  the  left  of  the  infantry  near  Brandy. 


192  JOHN  ASIITON. 

"At  12  that  night  the  infantry  withdrew  beyond  the 
Rappahannock,  ray  division  bringing  up  the  rear,  and  re- 
crossed  by  daylight  on  the  13th," 

As  compared  with  the  Federal  force,  that  of  the  Confed- 
erates was  "insignificant,"  but  the  only  force  that  "was 
driven  to  one  and  one-half  miles  of  Culpeper"  by  the  Fed- 
erals was  the  one  regiment  of  Colonel  Rosser,  and  when  they 
struck  Young's  brigade  the  driving  ceased,  and  their  for- 
ward movement  was  completely  checked.  Notwithstanding 
General  Buford's  statement  to  the  contrary,  "the  object  of 
the  expedition"  was  not  "accomplished;"  for  General 
Sedgwick  failed  in  "driving  the  enemy"  as  directed  and  also 
failed  to  advance  sufficiently  far  to  enable  him  to  correctly 
"report  the  force,  position,  and  movements  of  the  enem}'" 
to  General  Meade.  Hence  "the  expedition"  was  a  failure, 
and  the  cause  of  its  failure  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the 
Federals  did  not,  as  they  could  easily  have  done  with  their 
overwhelming  force,  drive  Young  from  his  position  and 
thereby  ascertain  the  exceedingly  small  force  that  con- 
fronted them.  If  they  had  displayed  one-half  the  gallantry 
in  attacking  the  Confederates  that  the  latter  manifested  in 
meeting  and  checking  their  movement,  thej'  could  have 
easily  driven  Young  back  by  advancing  two  hundred  yards 
through  the  woods  on  the  right  of  his  line  and  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  across  the  open  ground  on  the  left  of  the 
same,  and  on  reaching  his  position  would  have  instantly 
discovered  what  a  mere  handful  of  men  were  opposing 
them,  as  the  country  was  entirely  open  from  that  point  to 
Culpeper,  and  Young's  whole  command  could  have  been 
captured  or  annihilated  unless  it  had  sought  safety  in 
flight,  as  there  was  no  supporting  force  within  ten  miles  of 
it.  If  the  Federals  had  thus  advanced  and  then  moved  for- 
ward to  Culpeper,  "the  expedition"  would  indeed  have  been 
a  success  and  yielded  fruits  of  which  General  Meade  did  not 
dream  when  he  ordered  it;  for  at  that  very  time  the  com- 
missary and  quartermaster's  trains  of  General  Lee's  army 
•were  loading  with  supplies  at  the  depot  in  Culpeper,  and 
these,  of  course,  would  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
Federals,  thereby  entailing  an  almost  inestimable  loss  upon 
the  Confederate  army.  The  Federals  were  doubtless 
deterred  from  attacking  more  vigorously  than  they  did  and 


JOHN  ASHTOJSr.  198 

also  from  making  any  farther  forward  movement,  by  the 
marvelous  amount  of  "noise"  that  Young's  command  had 
"kept  up,"  and  the  impression  thereby  made  that  a  large 
force  confronted  them.  Young's  bluff  game  had  proven  a 
perfect  success,  and  for  months  afterward  it  was  a  matter 
of  merriment  among  his  men  that  they  had  so  completely 
bluffed  the  Yankees  at  Brandy  Station. 

We  will  now  return  to  that  part  of  General  Stuart's 
corps  with  which  Ashton  was  connected,  viz.:  Fitzhugh  Lee's 
division.  After  the  Federals  were  driven  across  the  Rappa- 
hannock on  October  11th,  as  heretofore  mentioned,  General 
Fitzhugh  Lee,  with  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  and  Wickham's  brigades, 
camf)ed  near  Welford's  Ford  on  the  Hazel  river  that  night, 
and  on  the  following  day  moved  to  Fox's  Mill  on  the  Rap- 
pahannock, where  he  encamped  for  the  night.  On  October 
13th  he  moved  by  way  of  Warrenton  to  Auburn,  where  he 
had  a  slight  engagement  with  a  force  of  Federal  infantry 
which  was  marching  by  that  place.  On  October  14th  the 
division  marched  by  way  of  New  Baltimore  and  Gainesville 
to  Bristow  Station,  and  there  encamped  that  night.  The 
next  day  it  moved  to  Manassas,  where  the  Federals  were 
found  deployed  on  the  plains.  Colonel  Chambliss,  com- 
manding W.  H.  F.  Lee's  brigade,  was  ordered  to  advance 
and  take  possession  of  Mitchell's  Ford  on  Bull  Run,  and 
this  was  quickly  done  by  his  dismounted  sharpshooters  in 
an  impetuous  charge  down  to  the  river  under  the  immediate 
command  of  Captain  Haynes,  of  the  9th  Virginia  cavalry, 
who  was  seriously  wounded  in  the  charge.  On  the  fol- 
lowing daj'  Lee's  brigade  moved  to  the  rear  of  Alanassas, 
and  about  sunset  it  was  met  by  a  superior  force  of  Federals. 
The  9th  Virginia  cavalry  made  a  gallant  charge  on  them, 
in  which  Ashton  participated,  but  the  regiment  being 
greatly  outnumbered,  was  repulsed.  The  brigade  then 
retired  to  Bristow  Station,  where  it  remained  until  the 
mormng  of  October  17th,  and  then  moved  to  Catlett's  Sta- 
tion. On  October  19th  the  division  marched  to  Buckland, 
and  arrived  there  in  time  to  participate  in  the  engagement 
at  that  place  in  which  General  Kilpatrick  was  so  completely 
routed  and  came  near  losing  his  entire  command  by  means 
of  a  trap  which  had  been  laid  for  him  by  Generals  Fitzhugh 


194  JOHN  ASHTON. 

Lee  and  Stuart.  Two  da3's  before,  General  Stuart  had 
marched  with  Hampton's  division  to  the  vicinity  of  Chan- 
tillj,  on  the  right  flank  and  partly  in  the  rear  of  the  Federal 
array,  and  had  a  skirmish  with  a  portion  of  General  Sedg- 
wick's corps  at  Frying  Pan  Church.  On  October  18th  he 
retired  to  Gainesville  and  toward  night  moved  with  the 
division  above  Haymarket  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
forage  and  supplies,  and  encamped  along  the  roadside. 
During  the  night  he  learned  from  his  scouts  that  General 
Kilpatrick's  division  of  cavalry,  with  six  pieces  of  artillery, 
and  a  column  of  infantry  in  the  rear,  had  left  Fairfax 
Court-House  the  day  before  and  were  advancing  on  him.  On 
the  morning  of  October  19th  General  Stuart  passed  through 
Gainesville  and  moved  back  toward  Buckland,  being  closely 
followed  by  Kilpatrick  whose  advance  troops  were  en- 
gaged with  one  regiment  of  Young's  brigade  until  the  latter 
reached  Buckland  about  10  a.  m.  General  Stuart  having 
crossed  Broad  Run,  placed  his  artillery  and  sharpshooters 
in  advantageous  positions  along  that  stream  and  awaited 
the  advance  of  General  Kilpatrick,  having  determined  to 
hold  him  in  check  at  that  point  until  General  Fitzhugh  Lee 
could  come  to  his  support,  in  accordance  with  a  notification 
previously  given.  The  Federals  made  several  desperate 
efforts  to  force  a  passage  across  the  stream,  but  were  each 
timerepulsed  by  the  Confederates.  After  awhile  they  ceased 
their  efforts  to  cross  the  stream  in  General  Stuart's  front 
and  sent  out  forces  on  his  flanks.  About  this  time  General 
Stuart  received  a  dispatch  from  General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  who 
was  advancing  from  Auburn,  stating  that  he  was  coming 
to  General  Stuart's  support  and  suggesting  that  the  latter 
should  retire  with  HamjDton's  division  toward  Warrenton, 
drawing  the  Federals  after  him,  and  that  he  would  come  in 
from  the  direction  of  Auburn  and  attack  them  in  the  flank 
and  rear.  General  Stuart  at  once  adopted  the  suggestion 
and,  sending  word  to  General  Lee  that  he  would  be  ready 
to  turn  upon  the  Federals  as  soon  as  he  heard  Lee's  signal 
guns,  he  retired  slowly  with  Hampton's  division  until  he 
reached  Chestnut  Hill,  about  two  miles  and  a  half  from 
Warrenton.  General  Kilpatrick,  confidently  beheving  that 
he  was  really  driving  the  Confederates,  walked  right  into 


JOHN  ASIITON.  195 

the  trap  thus  laid  for  him  and  followed  General  Stuart  until 
the  latter  had  reached  Chestnut  Hill,  when  the  sound  of 
artillery  near  Buckland  indicating  that  General  Lee  had 
arrived  and  begun  the  attack,  General  Stuart,  turning 
back,  pressed  the  Federals  suddenly  and  vigorously  in 
front  with  Gordon's  brigade  and  on  the  flanks  with 
Young's  and   Rosser's  brigades. 

This  attack  was  at  first  firmly  resisted  by  the  Federals, 
but  they  were  so  gallantly  and  impetuously  charged  by 
Gordon's  brigade  (the  1st  North  Carolina  cavalry  leading 
the  charge)  that  Ihey  soon  gave  way  and  were  completely 
routed.  General  Fitzhugh  Lee  had  come  in  on  the  Auburn 
pike  and  struck  the  Federals  on  their  right  flank;  Young  was 
moving  with  his  brigade  around  on  their  left  flank  to  get  in 
their  rear  at  or  near  Buckland  ;  and  Gordon,  advancing  on 
the  Warrenton  pike,  attacked  them  in  front,  as  before  stated, 
striking  the  head  of  their  column  near  New  Baltimore.  At 
this  place  General  Kilpatrick  narrowlj'  escaped  being  cap- 
tured by  a  member  of  the  1st  North  Carolina  cavalry.  Con- 
fidently believing,  as  before  stated,  that  he  was  really  driv- 
ing General  Stuart  back  with  perfect  ease,  and  apparently 
intrusting  the  further  management  of  the  movement  to  his 
subordinates,  he  stopped  at  a  house  in  New  Baltimore  and 
ordered  dinner.  Before  he  had  time  to  partake  of  the  meal 
that  was  being  prepared  for  him,  his  troops  had  been 
routed  by  General  Stuart  and  came  dashing  down  the  War- 
renton pike  and  on  through  New  Baltimore  as  fast  as  their 
horses  could  carry  tliem.  Hastily  leaving  the  house  where 
he  had  hoped  to  enjoy  an  excellent  dinner,  General  Kilpat- 
rick mounted  his  horse  and  started  for  the  pike  to  join  his 
fleeing  troopers  in  their  pell-mell  flight.  The  aforesaid  North 
Carolinian  happened  to  esp\'  him,  and  at  once  dashed  out 
of  the  pike  to  intercept  him.  This  movement  caused  Gen- 
eral Kilpatrick  to  change  his  course,  and  wheeling  his  horse, 
he  galloped  off  in  another  direction  rapidly  followed  by  the 
North  Carolinian.  Being  closely  pressed  bj^  the  latter,  Gen- 
eral Kilpatrick  dashed  into  a  garden  and  rode  rapidly 
across  it,  his  pursuer  being  only  a  short  distance  i^ehind 
him.  Indeed  he  was  so  close  to  the  fugitive  that  he  could 
easily  have  shot  and  killed  him,  but,    knowing  his   rank,  he 


1.  6  JOHN  ASHTON. 

had  set  his  heart  on  capturing  the  general — therefore  re- 
frained from  shooting.  Just  as  General  Kilpatrick  reached 
the  farther  side  of  the  garden,  and  when  the  North  Caroli- 
nian was  within  a  few  paces  of  him,  the  horse  of  the  latter 
stumbled  and  fell,  thereby  enabling  the  fugitive  to  escape. 

When  the  Federals  were  attacked  in  front  and  flank,  as 
before  mentioned,  thej^  turned  and  fled  in  the  utmost  con- 
fusion; and  then  began  a  rapid  and  exciting  chase  such  as 
had  not  before  been  seen  during  the  Civil  War.  The  routed 
and  demoralized  P'ederals  were  pursued  by  the  Confederates 
at  full  speed  through  Buckland,  and  for  miles  be3'ond,  one 
column  fleeing  toward  Haymarket  and  the  other  toward 
Gainesville,  until  both  had  been  driven  behind  their  infantry 
supports,  a  number  of  the  latter  being  killed  and  captured. 
About  four  hundred  prisoners  were  captured  by  the  Con- 
federates, and  dead  and  wounded  Federals  were  scattered  all 
along  the  road  for  miles.  If  General  Fitzhugh  Lee's  attack 
had  been  delayed  for  a  half  hour,  and  thus  given  Young 
time  to  get  in  the  rear  of  the  Federals,  General  Kilpatrick's 
entire  division  would  have  been  killed  or  captured.  As  it 
was,  the  route  was  complete,  and  the  pell-mell  flight  of  the 
division  was  afterward  described  by  a  Federal  writer  as 
presenting  "the  deplorable  spectacle  of  seven  thousand 
cavalry  dashing  riderless,  hatless,  and  panic-stricken 
through  the  ranks  of  their  infantry." 

The  9th  Virginia  cavalry  participated  in  the  flank  attack 
that  was  made  by  Fitzhugh  Lee's  division,  and  Ashton  was 
among  the  sharpshooters  who  gallantly  pressed  the  Fed- 
erals on  foot  near  New  Baltimore  until  their  ranks  were 
completely  broken,  and  then  lemjunting  their  horses  en- 
gaged in  chasing  the  demoraHzed  fugitives  in  their  rapid 
and  disorderly  flight  through  and  beyond  Buckland.  In 
this,  as  in  previous  engagements,  he  maintained  his  reputa- 
tion for  dash  and  gallantry  and  won  the  renewed  admira- 
tion of  his  comrades  and  commanding  officers. 

This  engagement,  which  the  Confederates  facetiously 
called  "the  Buckland  races,"  terminated  the  brief,  but  bril- 
liant campaign  of  Stuart's  cavalry  in  October  1863,  during 
which  they  captured  between  one  thousand  and  five  hun- 
dred and  two  thousand  prisoners,  and  killed  and  wounded  a 


JOHN  ASHTON.  197 

great  many  of  the  Federals.  On  the  following  day  the 
Confederate  cavalry  recrossed  -the  Rappahannock  and 
repaired  to  their   respective  camps. 

Shortly  thereafter  the  brigade  to  which  Ashton  belonged 
went  into  camp  in  Madison  county  and  there  remained 
until  the  latter  part  of  November,  when  it  and  the  other 
brigades  of  Lee's  division  moved  to  the  vicinity  of  Mor- 
ton's and  Raccoon  Fords  on  the  Rapidan  and  relieved  Gen- 
eral Ewell's  corps  of  infantry  during  General  Meade's 
movement  across  the  river  lower  down,  which  resulted  in 
his  disastrous  repulse  at  Locust  Grove  and  Mine  Run. 
During  Meade's  movement  against  Lee's  army,  Kilpatrick's 
division  of  cavalry  crossed  the  Rapidan  two  or  three  times 
at  Morton's  and  Raccoon  Fords,  but  was  repulsed  and 
driven  back  each  time  by  Fitzhugh  Lee's  division.  On 
December  2d,  the  division  was  relieved  by  the  return  of 
Ewell's  corps,  and  moved  back  to  Madison  county.  From 
there  a  part  of  thedivision,  including  the  regiment  to  which 
Ashton  belonged,  moved  to  the  vicinity  of  Charlottesville, 
on  December  12th,  for  the  purpose  of  going  into  winter 
quarters,  but  left  there  December  14th  to  aid  in  checking 
the  raid  of  General  Averell  on  the  Virginia  and  Tennessee 
railroad.  Owing  to  incorrect  information  given  him  as  to 
Averell's  movements.  General  Fitzhugh  Lee  failed  to  inter- 
cept or  overtake  him,  and  the  command  returned  to  camp 
after  a  week's  hard  riding,  having  marched  about  three  hun- 
dred miles  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy. 


198  JOHN  ASHTON. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Just  after  Ashton's  regiment  returned  to  Madison  countv, 
he  received  a  letter  from  Ruth  in  which  she  informed  him 
that  her  cousin,  Bertha  Gray,  and  Captain  Carringion  were 
to  be  married  on  Christmas  eve,  and  urged  him  to  obtain 
leave  of  absence  from  his  command  in  order  that  he  might 
be  present  on  the  occasion,  and  also  spend  the  following 
week  in  Richmond.  Ashton  immediately  made  application 
for  leave  of  absence  during  Christmas  week,  and  in  due  time 
the  same  was  granted. 

This  information  in  regard  to  the  approaching  marriage 
of  Carrington  and  Bertha  naturally  aroused  in  Ashton's 
heart  an  intense  longing  for  the  speed v  consummation  of  his 
his  own  engagement  with  Ruth  Middleton,  and  he  was 
prompted  to  write  the  latter  urging  that  there  might  be  a 
double  wedding  on  the  occasion,  in  which  she  and  he  would 
take  prominent  parts.  On  reflection,  he  decided  that  such  a 
request  would  be  supremely  selfish,  and  at  once  discarded 
the  thought  of  asking  Ruth  to  link  her  fate  wnth  his,  under 
existing  circumstances.  While  he  knew  that  Bertha  would 
make  a  great  sacrifice  in  marrj'inga  soldier  in  active  service, 
he  also  knew  that  this  sacrifice  would  not  be  so  great  as 
that  which  Ruth  would  have  to  make  if  she  should  marry 
him ;  for  he  was  but  a  private  soldier  in  the  cavalry,  which 
was  usually  on  the  outposts  of  the  army  and  liable  to  be 
moved  from  place  to  place  at  any  time,  w^hile  Captain  Car- 
rington was  an  infantry  officer,  wath  more  privileges  and 
much  better  pay  than  he  enjoyed,  and,  moreover,  w-ould  be 
in  a  position  to  have  his  wife  with  him  during  a  consid- 
erable part  of  the  time,  especially  in  the  w'inter  months. 
TTaving  thus  in  a  measure  stifled  his  longing  for  a  speedy 
marriage  with  Ruth,  and  summarily  curbed  |his  incHnation 
to  request  the  same,  Ashton  consoled  himself  for  his  dis- 
appointment in  the  matter  b\^  thinking  of  the  inestima- 
ble blessing  which  he  enjoyed  in  the  possession  of  Ruth's 
love,  although  Ihe  time  of  their  marriage  was  indefinite, 
and,  philosopher-like,  resumed  the  discharge  of  his  daily 
duties  with  his   wonted  alacrity   and   cheerfulness,  looking 


JOHN  ASRTON.  199 

forward  with  gladsome  anticipation  to  his  enjoyment  of 
Ruth's  companionship  on  the  occasion  of  Bertha's  marriage 
to  Captain  Carrington. 

As  Carrington  has  found  a  permanent  place  in  our  story, 
and  we  have  really  come  to  like  the  brave,  bright,  and 
genial  fellow,  and  hope  that  the  reader  has  done  likewise,  it 
is  natural  and,  we  trust,  pardonable,  that  some  account 
should  be  given  of  his  rriovement-s  since  his  return  to  the 
army  at  the  expiration  of  his  visit  to  Bertha  in   September. 

From  that  time  till  October  9th,  his  regiment  remained 
quietly  in  camp  near  the  Rapidan,and  he  had  no  experiences 
worthy  of  notice.  On  that  day,  as  the  reader  will  remem- 
ber, the  infantry  and  artillery  of  the  Confederate  army 
marched  toward  Aladison  Court-House,  and  the  brigade 
(Doles')  to  which  Carrington  belonged  participated  in  the 
flank  movement  thus  begun,  but  had  no  serious  fighting  to 
do,  as  General  Lee  failed  to  secure  a  general  engagement 
with  the  Federal  army.  After  the  Confederate  army  re- 
turned from  this  movement.  Doles'  brigade  was  stationed 
near  Kelly's  Ford  on  the  Rappahannock,  and  participated 
in  the  engagement  at  that  point  on  November  7th,  which 
preceded  the  unfortunate  capture  of  a  part  of  Hays'  and 
Hoke's  brigades  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  above  the 
ford.  On  November  27th  the  brigade  was  actively  engaged 
in  conjunction  with  General  Edward  Johnson's  division  in 
the  fight  at  Payne's  farm  near  Locust  Grove,  where  the 
Federals  under  General  French  were  repulsed  with  consid- 
erable loss.  The  next  day  the  brigade  rejoined  Rodes' 
division  on  Mine  Run,  and  after  the  Federals  had  been 
repulsed  all  along  the  line  and  begun  their  retreat  on  Decem- 
ber 2d,  Carrington's  regiment  took  an  active  part  in  fol- 
lowing them  up  in  their  retreat,  and  nineteen  of  the  sharp- 
shooters of  the  regiment  charged  about  three  hundred  Fed- 
erals posted  behind  an  embankment  on  the  plank-road,  and 
captured  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  of  them.  On 
November  27th  in  the  fight  at  Payne's  farm,  this  regiment, 
in  conjunction  with  the  12th  Georgia,  rendered  timely  and 
efficient  service  to  General  G.  H.  Stuart's  brigade.  It  was 
nearly  dark,  General  Stuart's  brigade  had  been  engaged  for 
some  time,  was  hard  pressed,  and  its  extreme  left  about  to 


200  JOHN  A  SET  ON. 

be  overpowered  by  superior  numbers,  having  exhausted  its 
ammunition,  when  the  4th  and  12th  Georgia  regiments 
were  ordered  to  its  support.  Moving  forward  at  a  double 
quick,  they  charged  the  Federals,  drove  them  back  and  re- 
established the  Confederate  line,  relieving  the  left  of  Stuart's 
brigade  from  the  heavy  pressure  that  was  upon  it.  After 
this  Carrington  and  the  other  members  of  his  regiment  had 
no  heavy  fighting  during  General  Meade's  farther  demon- 
strations along  Mine  Run,  and  the  Federals  having  crossed 
the  Rapidan  and  made  good  their  retreat,  the  regiment, 
together  with  the  remainder  of  the  brigade,  returned  to 
Morton's  Ford  and  resumed  the  position  which  it  had 
occupied  when  relieved  a  few  days  before  by  a  part  of  Gen- 
eral Fitzhugh  Lee's  division.  Ashton  and  Carrington  had 
thus  twice  been  in  close  proximity  to  each  other  within 
less  than  a  week;  but,  as  they  were  not  aware  of  the  fact, 
they  did  not  meet  or  have  any  communication  with  one 
another. 

At  this  time  Bertha  Gray  was  at  home,  where  she  had  gone 
a  few  days  before  to  make  preparations  for  her  approach- 
ing marriage.  She  had  remained  in  Richmond  assisting 
Ruth  in  her  hospital  duties  until  the  last  of  November,  and 
then  returned  home  for  the  purpose  just  mentioned.  Ruth 
had  been  constantly  engaged  at  the  hospital  ever  since 
Ashton 's  departure  to  rejoin  his  regiment,  but  her  duties 
at  this  time  were  not  so  taxing  as  when  he  left,  as  many  of 
the  soldiers  who  were  wounded  in  the  Gettysburg  campaign 
had  been  discharged  from  the  hospital,  and,  consequently, 
she  had  some  leisure  time  every  day.  During  the  preceding 
month,  Belle  Preston  spent  a  week  with  her,  and  both  girls 
derived  much  pleasure  from  the  visit.  Belle  was  at  once 
impressed  by  the  fact  that  Ruth  was  much  brighter  and 
happier  than  when  the  latter  visited  her  the  preceding  sum- 
mer, and  having  expressed  her  gratification  at  this  change, 
Ruth  was  led  to  explain  its  cause.  As  the  girls  had  l)een 
intimate  friends  at  school  and  there  formed  an  enduring 
attachment  for  each  other,  the  utmost  confidence  now  ex- 
isted between  them,  and  hence  Ruth  did  not  hesitate  to 
relate  the  sad  experience  which  she  had  before  meeting  Belle 
in  thesummer,and  the  subsequent  events  that  had  wrought 


JOHN  ASHTON.  -201 

such  a  complete  change  in  her  appearance  and  feelings.  She 
told  Belle  of  her  love  for  Ashton,  her  long  settled  opinion 
that  he  was  dead,  the  singular  manner  in  which  she  had 
discovered  her  mistake  as  to  his  supposed  death,  their  subse- 
quent engagement,  and  the  great  happiness  that  she  experi- 
enced in  loving  and  being  loved  by  him.  On  being  asked  by 
Belle  at  what  time  she  expected  to  marry  him,  Ruth  stated 
that  she  did  not  expect  to  marry  him  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  as,  from  her  knowledge  of  his  character,  she  was  sat- 
isfied that  he  would  consider  it  selfish  for  him  to  request  an 
earlier  consummation  of  their  engagement,  and  hence  would 
not  do  so.  Having  thus  alluded  to  Ashton's  character, 
Ruth  was  thereby  led  to  give  a  description  of  the  same,  and 
as  the  description  was  based  on  a  thorough  knowledge  of  her 
subject  and  somewhat  influenced  by  her  love,  it  impressed 
Belle  with  the  idea  that  Ruth's  lover  was  a  remarkable  and 
exceptional  man,  and  caused  her  to  express  an  earnest  desire 
to  meet  and  know  him.  Ruth  informed  her  that  she  would 
soon  have  an  opportunity  for  gratifying  this  desire,  stat- 
ing that  Bertha  wished  her  to  attend  her  marriage  and  that 
Ashton  would  be  present  on  the  occasion. 

It  had  been  arranged  that  the  marriage  should  occur  in 
Richmond,  and  Mrs.  Slaughter's  family  were  looking  for- 
ward with  pleasurable  anticipations  to  the  coming  event, 
and  making  suitable  preparations  for  the  same.  While 
Ruth  rejoiced  with  Bertha  in  the  happiness  which  she  had 
found  in  Carrington's  love,  she  was  at  times  saddened  bv 
the  thought  that  her  cousin's  approaching  marriage  would 
terminate  their  almost  lifelong  companionship  and  thereby 
make  her  own  life  for  awhile  a  comparatively  lonely  one. 
Hence  she  looked  forward  to  that  event  with  mingled  emo- 
tions of  pleasure  and  pain.  The  intervening  time  between 
the  close  of  Belle  Preston's  visit  and  Bertha's  return  to 
Richmond  was  spent  by  Ruthin  the  customary  discharge  of 
her  hospital  duties  and  in  aiding  the  Slaughters  in  the  prep- 
arations that  were  being  made  for  Bertha's  marriage.  As 
before  stated,  the  marriage  was  to  occur  on  Christmas  eve, 
and  Bertha  arrived  in  Richmond  a  few  days  before  that 
time.  Carrington,  Ashton  and  Belle,  and  Lieutenant  Preston 
reached  the  city  on  December  23d,  and,  in  accordance  with 


202  JOHN  ASHTON. 

an  arrangement  previously  made,  all  of  them  repaired  to 
Mrs.  Slaughter's  residence  that  evening.  Lieutenant  Harris 
of  the artillery,  who,  as  the  reader  will  remember,  intro- 
duced Sergeant  Paul  to  the  ladies  at  Mrs.  Slaughter's,  was 
also  present.  When  it  was  discovered  that  Sergeant  Paul 
was  an  impostor  and  spy,  Kate  Slaughter,  in  her  im- 
pulsive wa^',  became  very  indignant  and  was  greatly  dis- 
pleased with  Lieutenant  Harris  for  having  brought  Paul  to 
the  house,  and  scolded  him  for  what  she  termed  his  lack  of 
prudence  in  the  matter;  but  on  reflection  she  recognized  how 
naturally  the  mistake  had  been  made  by  Harris  and  prompt- 
ly apologized  for  her  hasty  condemnation  of  his  conduct, 
and  they  were  now  good  friends. 

In  view  of  the  occasion  that  had  called  them  together  and 
the  pleasant  relations  which  existed  between  them,  it  is 
doubtful  as  to  whether  a  happier  party  could  have  been 
found  within  the  bounds  of  the  Southern  Confederacy 
than  was  assembled  that  evening  at  Mrs.  Slaughter's  resi- 
dence. Their  surroundings,  too,  were  such  as  to  inspire 
cheerfulness  and  gayety ;  for  the  house  was  brilliantly 
lighted,  blazing  fires  were  burning  in  the  grates,  and  the 
rooms  were  tastefully  decorated  with  branches  of  holly 
and  sprigs  of  mistletoe,  whose  fresh  green  leaves,  together 
with  numerous  vases  of  beautiful  flowers  in  various  parts 
of  the  house,  presented  a  gladsome  picture,  suggestive  of 
sweet  springtime,  and  in  delightful  contrast  with  the  snow- 
clad  world  without,  where  the  wintry  wnnds  were  shrilly 
whistling  through  the  shivering  branches  of  the  leafless  trees. 
This  joyous  picture  had  its  counterpart  in  the  breasts  of  those 
who  were  delightedh'  feasting  their  e\'es  upon  its  animat- 
ing beauties,  for  in  the  midst  of  cold  and  drear3'  winter 
the  coming  Christmas-tide  and  the  occasion  which  called 
them  together,  had  brought  warm  and  gladsome  springtime 
to  their  hearts.  Forgetting  for  the  time  the  scenes  of  strife 
and  bloodshed  on  the  battle-fields,  and  the  privations  and 
hardships  of  camp  life  which  some  of  them  had  but  recently 
left,  and  with  which  all  were  more  or  less  familiar,  they  gave 
themselves  entirely   up  to  the  enjoyment  of  the   occasion. 

For  a  time  the  conversation  was  general  and  the  members 
of  the  party  remained  together  engaged  in  liveh'   chat   and 


JOHN  ASHTON.  203 

merry  jest;  but  after  awhile  the  law  of  affinity  began  its 
operation,  and  soon  they  were  sitting  apart  or  promenad- 
ing in  pairs,  as  follows:  Ashton  with  Ruth,  Carrington 
with  Bertha,  Lieutenant  Preston  with  Kate  Slaughter,  and 
Lieutenant  Harris  with  Belle  Preston. 

Although  Lieutenant  Harris  had  known  Belle  only  a 
short  time,  having  formed  her  acquaintance  during  her  vis- 
it to  Ruth  the  preceding  month,  he  was  charmed  with  her 
girlish  impulsiveness  and  imaffected  warm-heartedness,  frank 
and  sunny  disposition,  and  bright  and  sprightly  intellect,  and 
had  become  deeply  interested  in  her.  Indeed  it  was  appar- 
ent to  those  who  witnessed  the  devoted  air  which  marked 
his  conduct  toward  her,  and  the  absorbing  interest  with 
which  he  talked  to  her,  that  if  he  had  not  already  succumbed 
to  the  power  of  the  divine  passion,  he  was  in  a  fair  way  of 
yielding  to  its  sway.  The  same  was  also  true  as  to  the  ef_ 
feet  that  had  been  produced  on  Lieutenant  Preston  by  the 
many  virtues  of  high-spirited,  headstrong,  and  yet  charm- 
ing Kate  Slaughter,  whose  acquaintance  he  had  assiduously 
cultivated  since  meeting  her  the  ])receding  summer.  As  the 
conversations  of  the  several  couples,  though  deeply  inter- 
esting to  the  parties  therein,  would  not,  perhaps,  entertain 
the  reader,  we  refrain  from  repeating  them. 

After  partaking  of  a  delicious  supper  and  spending  an 
hour  or  two  in  general  conversation,  interspersed  with  some 
of  Ruth's  soul-enchanting  songs,  the  party  dispersed  for  the 
night,  looking  forward  with  delightful  anticipations  to 
their  reunion  at  the  wedding  on  the  following  evening.  The 
next  morning  dawned  clear  and  bright,  and  Bertha,  accept- 
ing this  as  a  favorable  omen,  felt  that  no  expectant  bride 
could  ask  for  a  more  auspicious  wedding-day  than  that 
which  had  been  vouchsafed  to  her. 

The  marriage  was  to  occur  at  8  o'clock  p.  m.,  at  Mrs. 
Slaughter's  residence,  and  only  those  who  were  gathered 
there  the  preceding  evening  and  the  officiating  clergyman  were 
to  be  present.  Shortly  before  that  time  the  entire  wedding 
party  had  assembled,  and  at  the  appointed  hour  Carrington 
and  Bertha  were  duly  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  matri- 
mony. After  the  congratulations  and  good  wishes  of  the 
assembled  guests  had  been  extended  to  the  happy  pair,  the 


204  JOUN  AS  ETON. 

partj  repaired  to  the  dining-room  and  partook  of  a  sump- 
tuous repast,  the  savory  substantials  and  delicious  delicacies 
of  which  would  have  satisfied  the  most  exacting  taste  of  a 
confirmed  epicure.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  they  did  full 
justice  to  the  wedding  supper,  and  at  its  close  were  in  that 
proverbially  happy  frame  of  mind  which  a  delicious  feast 
invariably  produces.  The  evening  passed  pleasantly  and 
swiftly  by,  and  at  its  close  it  was  agreed  that  the  party 
should  go  sleigh-riding  on  the  morrow.  Hence,  shortly 
after  breakfast,  the  next  morning,  the  entire  wedding  party 
were  swiftly  gliding  over  the  snow-clad  streets  of  the  city  on 
their  way  to  the  countrj'.  They  drove  out  toward  Meadow 
Bridge  on  the  Chickahominy  river,  passing  by  and  examin- 
ing the  fortifications   north   of  the  city  and  catching   a 

glimpse  of  the artillery,  with  which  Lieutenant  Preston 

was  connected.  Some  of  the  company,  recognizing  Preston, 
waved  their  caps  and  in  hearty  tones  wished  the  party  a 
merry  Christmas.  They  were  certainly  having  a  merry 
Christmas,  and  the  sweet-toned  sleigh-bells  making  glad 
music  on  the  clear,  crisp  air,  found  an  echo,  as  it  were,  in 
the  still  sweeter  joy -bells  that  were  softly  ringing  in  their 
happy  hearts.  After  crossing  the  Chickahominy  at  Meadow 
Bridge,  the  party  drove  out  beyond  Mechanicsville,  and 
after  passing  over  a  part  of  the  ground  where  the  fierce  and 
bloody  battle  of  June  26,  1862,  was  fought,  returned  to 
Richmond  by  the  Mechanicsville  turnpike.  During  the  re- 
mainder of  the  Christmas  holidays  the  members  of  the 
wedding  party  were  together  every  day,  and  the  time  was 
passed  in  a  round  of  gaieties  that  rendered  it  one  of  the 
happiest  wrecks  of  their  lives.  With  its  close  the  parting 
hour  drew  nigh,  and  their  hearts  were  saddened  at  thought 
of  the  separation  that  must  ensue  with  the  coming  of  the 
New  Year. 

New  Year's  day  dawned  fair  and  bright,  and  shortly  after 
breakfast  all  of  the  party  were  assembled  at  Mrs. 
Slaughter's  residence  for  the  purpose  of  bidding  each  other 
good-bye.  The  beauty  and  brightness  of  the  day  and  the 
feeling  of  joyousness  which  the  New  Year  invariably 
inspires,  tended  to  counteract  the  natural  depression 
which  they  felt  in  view   of  their   approaching  separation, 


JOHN  ASHTON.  205 

and  they  managed  to  keep  up  a  show  of  cheerfuhiess  to  the 
last.  As  Carrington's  regiment  was  in  winter  quarters, 
and  not  expected  to  move  until  the  opening  of  the  spring 
campaign,  it  was  arranged  that  his  wife  should  return  with 
him,  and  he  had  secured  a  pleasant  boarding-house  for  her 
near  the  encampment  of  the  regiment.  At  last  the  parting 
hour  arrived  and  the  parties  separated  after  bidding  each 
other  an  affectionate  good-bye. 

Belle  Preston  went  to  her  home  in  Lexington,  and  Lieu- 
tenants Preston  and  Harris  returned  to  their  respective 
commands.  Carrington  and  Bertha  traveled  by  rail  to 
Rapidan  Station,  and  from  that  point  by  a  hired  convey- 
ance to  their  temporary  home  near  Morton's  Ford. 

Ashton  had  accompanied  them  as  far  as  Gordons ville  and, 
having  there  bidden  them  good-bye,  proceeded  to  Char- 
lottesville. On  reaching  Charlottesville  he  found  his  horse 
awaiting  him,  in  accordance  with  instructions  previously 
given  in  regard  to  the  matter,  and  from  there  he  rode  out 
to  the  encampment  of  his  regiment.  As  he  rode  along  he 
lived  over  in  imagination  the  happy  hours  recently  spent 
with  Ruth,  and  intensely  longed  for  the  time  when  he  could 
claim  her  as  his  wife.  As  he  was  still  fixed  in  his  purpose 
not  to  request  the  appointment  of  this  time  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  he  had  no  hope  of  its  speedy  arrival,  for  the  fall 
of  Vicksburg  and  other  reverses  to  the  Confederate  array 
in  the  Southwest  during  the  preceding  summer  and  fall,  and 
the  unsuccessful  issue  of  the  Gettysburg  campaign  so 
greatly'  encouraged  the  North  in  the  prosecution  of  the  war 
that  an  indefinite  continuation  of  hostilities  was  probable. 
In  view  of  this  fact,  and  the  poorly  clad  and  half-starved 
condition  of  General  Lee's  army,  Ashton  regarded  the  out- 
look as  exceedingly  gloomy,  and  for  the  moment  was 
greatly  depressed.  However,  he  soon  shook  off  this  feeling 
of  despondency  and  rode  into  camp  that  evening  in  a  com- 
paratively cheerful  frame  of  mind,  ready  for  the  prompt 
and  faithful  discharge  of  any  duty  that  might  be  as 
signed  him. 

Wnen  Ashton  left  Richmond,  Ruth  keenly  felt  the  pangs 
of  their  separation  and  was  naturally  heavy-hearted  for 
several  days  after  his  departure.     But  she  did   not  let  this 


206  JOHN  ASHTON. 

feeling  of  depression  deter  her  from,  or  unfit  her  for  her 
work,  and  resumed  her  labors  at  the  hospital  with  una- 
bated interest  and  elficiency. 

We  have  alluded  to  the  condition  of  the  Confederate  army 
in  Virginia,  and  will  farther  state  that  at  this  time  it  was 
deplorable,  as  the  soldiers  were  daily  experiencing  the  great- 
est hardships  and  suffering.  They  did  not  have  sufficient 
clothing  to  protect  them  against  the  cold  and  inclement 
weather,  and,  the  meager  supply  of  food  received  by  them 
being  entirely  inadequate  to  meet  the  demands  of  nature, 
many  of  them  were  half-starved.  The  horses  in  both  the 
cavalry  and  artillery  also  suffered  greatly  for  lack  of  food, 
and  many  of  them  were  entirely  imfit  for  service. 

Some  time  before  this  Victor  Hugo's  masterpiece  in  litera- 
ture, "Zes  Miserables,"  had  found  its  way  into  the  army  and 
was  extensivelj'  read  by  the  soldiers.  An  Anglicized  pro- 
nunciation of  the  title  so  forcibly  suggested  and  aptly 
described  the  wretched  condition  of  the  troops,  that  they 
promptl}'  and  pertinently  dubbed  themselves  "Lee's  Misera- 
bles,"  and  both  the  name  and  the  wretchedness  which  it 
implied  clung  to  them    during  the  remainder  of   the  war. 

The  deplorable  state  of  affairs  to  which  we  have  referred, 
naturally  caused  a  number  of  desertions  from  the  army, 
but,  to  the  honor  of  that  peerless  army  be  it  said,  nearly  all 
of  the  troops  bore  their  hardships  and  sufferings  with 
uncomplaining  fortitude  and  displayed  a  degree  of  patriotic 
devotion  and  exalted  heroism  that  has  never  been  equaled 
in  the  annals  of  war.  The  winter  passed  by  without  any 
general  or  important  engagement  between  the  two  armies; 
but  the  Federals  made  two  efforts  to  capture  Richmond  by 
means  of  raiding  parties.  The  first  effort  was  made  under 
the  direction  of  General  B.  F.  Butler,  who  was  in  command 
of  the  Federal  forces  on  the  Peninsula.  His  plan  was  to 
send  a  raiding  party  of  cavalry  up  the  Peninsula  to  sur- 
prise Richmond,  which  he  believed  was  practically  defense- 
less ;  and  in  order  to  cover  this  movement  and  thereby  increase 
thechances  of  its  success,  the  Federal  army  on  the  Rapidan 
was  to  make  a  demonstration  against  General  Lee's  army 
lyingsouth  of  that  stream.  The  Federal  raiding  party,  under 
General  Wistar,  marched  up  the  Peninsula  and  reached  Bot- 


JOHN  ASIITON.  207 

tom's  bridge  on  the  Chickahominy  on  February  6th,  ISS^, 
but,  finding  that  the  road  to  Richmond  was  strongly 
guarded,  advanced  no  farther,  and  returned  from  the  expe- 
dition without  having  accompHshed  anything  by  the  move- 
ment. In  pursuance  of  the  plan  before  mentioned,  the 
Federal  army  on  February  7th  made  a  demonstration  against 
General  Lee's  army  along  the  lower  fords  of  the  Rapidan, 
failed  to  accomplish  anything  by  the  movement,  and  lost 
several  hundred  men. 

A  second  and  more  serious  attempt  to  capture  the  Con- 
federate Capital  was  made  about  three  weeks  after  the  first 
had  failed.  At  that  time  an  expedition  consisting  of  four 
thousand  cavalry  was  organized  and  equipped  with  great 
care  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  the  city  and  releasing 
the  Federal  prisoners  who  were  confined  there.  General  Kil- 
patrick  had  command  of  the  expedition,  and  an  important 
part  in  the  same  was  assigned  to  Colonel  Ulric  Dahlgren,  a 
young  officer  who  had  previously  won  distinction  by  his 
skill  and  daring.  The  plan  marked  out  fcjr  the  movement 
was  as  follows : 

A  column  under  General  Custer  was  to  advance  on  Char- 
lottesville for  the  purpose  of  drawing  attention  from  the 
main  body,  which  was  to  march  to  Beaver  Dam  Station  on 
the  Virginia  Central  railroad.  On  arriving  at  Beaver  Dam 
Station,  the  main  column  was  to  be  divided,  a  part  of  the 
troops,  under  General  Kilpatrick,  moving  on  Richmond 
along  the  north  bank  of  the  James  river,  and  the  remain- 
der, under  Colonel  Dahlgren,  crossing  to  the  south  side  of 
the  stream,  were  to  march  down  the  right  bank  of  the  same, 
release  the  prisoners  at  Belle  Isle,  recross  the  river,  burn 
the  bridges,  and  rejoin  Kilpatrick  in  the  city,  destroy  the 
city  and  kill  President  Davis  and  his  cabinet.  The  move- 
ment was  begun  on  February  28th,  and  General  Custer 
attempted  to  carry  out  the  part  assigned  to  him  by  march- 
ing toward  Charlottesville,  but  on  arriving  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  place,  he  was  repulsed  and  driven  back  by  Stuart's 
Horse  artillery  and  at  once  retreated  to  Madison  Court- 
house. On  reaching  Beaver  Dam  Station,  the  main  column 
of  the  Federals  divided,  and  Kilpatrick,  with  the  greater 
part  of  the  same,  marched  toward  Richmond,  while  Dahlgren 


208  JO  UN  ASHTON. 

with  five  hundred  picked  men,  moved  toward  the  James 
river.  Kilpatrick  approached  Richmond  by  the  Brook 
turnpike,  but  seemingly  made  no  real  effort  to  capture  the 
city,  and  without  much  show  of  fighting,  changed  his  course 
and  marched  down  the  Peninsula,  Dahlgren  reaciied  the 
James  river,  but  found  that  itcould  not  be  forded,  and  moved 
toward  Richmond  on  the  Westham  plank-road,  moving  par- 
allel wnth  that  stream,  expecting  to  join  Kilpatrick  near  the 
city.  He  arrived  within  four  miles  of  Richmond  on  the  night 
of  March  1st,  only  a  short  time  after  Kilpatrick 's  retreat,  and 
was  met  by  a  small  force  of  department  clerks  and  laborers 
in  the  government  workshops  that  had  been  hastily  col- 
lected and  armed  to  aid  in  defending  the  city.  Colonel 
Dahlgren,  with  his  five  hundred  picked  horsemen,  was  per- 
fectly confident  that  he  could  easily  disperse  the  small  force 
opposing  him  and  ordered  his  men  to  charge  "the  militia." 
The  charge  was  made,  but  the  result  was  very  disappointing 
to  the  over-confident  officer  who  ordered  it,  for  "the  militia" 
boldly  stood  their  ground  and  received  the  chaa-ge  with  a 
well-directed  fire  which  emptied  about  a  dozen  saddles, 
repulsed  the  raiders  and  scattered  them  in  confusion.  Dis- 
comfited by  this  bold  and  vigorous  reception,  Dahlgren  did 
not  renew  his  attack  on  the  Confederates,  but  moved  off 
around  the  city  for  the  purpose  of  reaching  the  road  lead- 
ing down  the  Peninsula  in  order  that  he  might  escape  by 
that  route,  as  he  now  realized  that  the  expedition  had  failed, 
and  that  he  was  in  imminent  danger  of  capture.  A  part  of 
his  command  succeeded  in  making  their  escape  by  that 
route,  but  during  his  retreat  Dahlgren  and  about  one  hun- 
dred of  his  men  became  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  com- 
mand, and  on  the  night  of  March  3d  rode  up  to  the  camp 
of  a  detachment  of  the  24-th  Virginia  cavalr\-  and  some 
horse-guards  and  militia  who  w^ere  on  the  watch  for  them. 
As  soon  as  Dahlgren  saw  the  Confederates  he  ordered  them 
to  surrender,  but  instead  of  doing  this  they  poured  a  volley 
into  his  ranks,  killing  him  instantly,  and  routing  his  com- 
mand, which  fled  in  confusion,  leaving  their  dead  com- 
mander behind  them.  These  fugitives  werecaptured  thenext 
day,  and  thus  terminated  a  well-planned  but  poorly  exe- 
cuted raid  which  threatened  the  capture  and  destruction  of 


JOHN  ASHTON.  209 

Richmond.  If  the  Federals  had  reached  Richmond  on  the 
morning  of  March  1st,  it  would  have  been  captured  and 
destroyed,  as  there  was  then  no  sufficient  force  at  hand  to 
prevent  their  entrance  into  the  city. 

On  Colonel  Dahlgren's  person  were  found  an  address  to 
his  command,  some  special  orders,  and  his  privajie  note- 
book, from  the  contents  of  which  it  clearly  appeared  that 
the  murderous  and  incendiary  design  of  killing  President 
Davis  and  his  cabinet  and  burning  the  Confederate  Capital 
had  been  deliberately  planned,  and  that  ample  preparations 
for  its   execution   had   been  made   before  the  raid  began. 

Copies  of  these  documents  were  published  In  the  Rich- 
mond newspapers  and  their  authenticity  was  subsequently 
denied  by  Colonel  Dahlgren's  father  and  others;  but  the 
denial  was  not  sustained  by  proof,  and  the  genuineness  of 
the  papers  was  fully  established  by  a  report  from  General 
Fitzhugh  Lee,  who  personally  delivered  them  to  the  War  De- 
partment, and  also  by  a  lengthy  statement  of  Edward  W. 
Halback,  a  school-teacher,  giving  a  full  account  of  the 
circumstances  under  which  Colonel  Dahlgren  was  killed, 
and  how,  immediately  after  his  death,  the  papers  were 
taken  from  his  person  by  WilHam  Littlepage,  one  of  Mr. 
Halback's  pupils,  about  thirteen  years  of  age.  Moreover, 
circumstantial  evidence  of  Colonel  Dahlgren's  incendiary 
design  is  furnished  by  a  communication  of  his  addressed  to 
Major-general  Hooker,  May  23d,  1863,  in  which  he  asks 
permission  to  prepare  and  attempt  a  cavalry  expedition 
similar  to  the  one  we  have  described,  and  says:  "The 
object  of  the  expedition  would  be  to  destroy  everything 
along  the  route,  and  especially  on  the  south  side  of  the 
James  river,  and  attempt  to  enter  Richmond  and  Peters- 
burg. If  the  general  proposition  should  meet  with  your 
approval,  I  will  submit  more  minute  details." 


210  JOHN  ASHTON. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


On  May  4th,  1864,  General  U.  S.  Grant  crossed  the  Rapi- 
dan  with  the  Federal  army  and  began  a  movement  that 
resulted  in  a  series  of  the  severest  and  bloodiest  battles  of 
the  war.  Having  already  devoted  so  much  space  to  descrip- 
tions of  the  various  operations  of  the  commands  to  which 
Ashton  and  Carrington  respectively  belonged,  we  will 
refrain  from  giving  a  detailed  account  of  the  series  of  en- 
gagements in  which  they  participated  during  General 
Grant's  movement  from  the  Rapidan  to  the  James,  in  which, 
with  an  army  of  one  hundred  and  forty-eight  thousand 
men  that  was  constantly  being  recruited  and  reinforced,  he 
was  repeatedly  repulsed  by  General  Lee  with  an  army  of 
originally  about  sixty  thousand  men  which  was  gradually 
being  decreased,  and  received  but  few  recruits  or  reinforce- 
ments. In  this  movement  General  Grant  lost  in  killed, 
wounded,  and  captured  fifty-four  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  twenty-six  men  without  accomplishing  his  purpose  of 
getting  between  General  Lee's  army  and  Richmond,  and 
was  finally  forced  to  transfer  his  army  to  the  south  side  of 
the  James  and  take  a  position  which  he  could  have  occupied 
with  scarcely  the  firing  of  a  gun;  and  by  November  1st, 
1864,  when  he  suspended  for  a  time  active  operations  in 
front  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  his  loss  had  reached  the 
enormous  aggregate  of  eighty-eight  thousand  three  hundred 
and  eighty-seven  men.  While  General  Grant,  during  this 
movement,  was  constantly  endeavoring  to  flank  General 
Lee  and  get  between  him  and  Richmond,  it  is  true  that  this 
was  not  his  sole  or  ultimate  object ;  for  his  purpose,  as  he  has 
expressed  it,  was  not  only  "to  beat  Lee's  army,  if  possible, 
north  of  Richmond,  then,  after  destroying  his  communica- 
tion north  of  the  James,  to  transfer  the  army  to  the  south 
side  and  besiege  Lee  in  Richmond,  or  follow  him  south  if  he 
should  retreat,"  but  also  "to  hammer  continuously  against 
the  armed  forces  of  the  enemy  and  his  resources,  until,  by  mere 
attrition,  if  in  no  other  way,  there  should  be  nothing  left  to 
him  but  submission."    Although  General  Grant  did  not  sue- 


JOHN  ASIITON.  211 

ceed  in  his  first  object  of  "beating  Lee  north  of  Rich- 
mond," being  constantly  repulsed  in  every  engagement  from 
the  Rapidan  to  the  James,  and  sacrificed  more  than  a  third 
of  the  army  with  which  he  started,  in  transferring  it  to  the 
south  side  of  the  James  and  placing  it  in  a  position  to 
"besiege  Lee  in  Richmond,"  yet  the  hammering  process 
which  he  had  inaugurated  resulted  in  incalculable  and 
irreparable  injury  to  the  Confederate  cause;  for  much 
valuable  property  and  army  stores  were  destroyed,  and  the 
places  of  the  Confederate  soldiers  who  were  killed,  wounded 
and  captured  by  the  Federals  could  not  be  filled.  Indeed,  it 
was  by  means  of  this  hammering  process  and  as  the  result 
of  "mere  attrition"  that  the  hitherto  invincible  array  of 
Northern  Virginia  was  ultimately  vanquished,  and  it  required 
the  constant  efforts  of  almost  four  times  its  numbers  for 
nearly   twelve  months    to    accomplish    this   result. 

Many  gallant  men  and  officers  of  General  Lee's  army  lost 
their  hves  during  the  campaign  from  the  Rapidan  to  the 
James,  and  among  the  latter  was  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart, 
the  prince  of  cavaHers,  who  was  mortally  wounded  on  May 
11th,  1864,  at  Yellow  Tavern  while  engaged  in  chectiing 
General  P.  H.  Sheridan's  raid  on  the  Virginia  Central  rail- 
road and  the  Richmond,  Fredericksburg,  and  Potomac  rail- 
road. It  is  supposed  that  he  was  shot  by  John  A.  Huff,  of 
Company  E,  5th  Michigan  cavalry  and  formerly  of  Berdan's 
sharpshooters,  who  was  himself  mortally  wounded  shortly 
afterward  at  Haw's  Shop.  This  regiment  and  others  of 
Custer's  brigade  were  severely' punished  by  General  Hamj)- 
ton  at  Haw's  Shop,  May  28th,  and  also  defeated  by  Hamp- 
ton at  Trevilian  Station,  June  11th;  but  the  destruction  of 
Custer's  entire  brigade  would  by  no  means  have  compen- 
sated the  Confederacy  for  the  loss  of  its  great  cavalry  com- 
mander. It  is  true  that  there  was  a  worthy  successor  to 
the  illustrious  and  lamented  Stuart,  and  the  command  of 
the  cavalry  corps  was  soon  given  to  General  Wade  Hamp- 
ton, who  was,  in  all  that  constitutes  the  ideal  soldier  and 
commander,  the  peer  of  his  predecessor,  but  the  Confederacy 
had  urgent  need  for  the  services  of  both  of  these  matchless 
men,  and  the  loss  of  General  Stuart  was  irreparable. 


212  JOHN  ASRTON. 

After  General  Grant's  armj-  had  reached  the  James  river 
and  commenced  crossing  it  at  Wilcox's  Landing  on  June 
14th,  he  at  once  proceeded  to  Berniada  Hundred  and  gave 
General  B.  F.  Butler  orders  for  the  immediate  capture  of 
Petersburg,  knowing  that  the  possession  of  this  place  by  his 
army  would  force  General  Lee  to  abandon  Richmond.  In 
accordance  with  the  instructions  given  by  General  Grant, 
General  W.  F.  Smith,  commanding  the  18th  army  corps,  a 
division  of  negro  troops  under  General  Hinks  and  a  division 
of  cavalry  under  General  Kautz,  was  ordered  to  march  that 
night  to  Petersburg  and  capture  the  city.  General  Smith 
began  his  march  as  directed,  and  arrived  in  front  of  the 
Confederate  pickets  near  Petersburg  before  daylight  the 
next  morning,  but  made  no  assault  on  the  main  lines  until 
late  in  the  afternoon.  The  city  was  practically  defenseless 
against  the  force  that  then  assailed  it,  the  Confederate 
force  consisting  of  only  a  part  of  General  Wise's  brigade, 
the  militia  of  Petersburg  and  four  batteries  of  artillery; 
but  the  gallant  defense  made  by  this  little  band  doubtless 
caused  General  Smith  to  suppose  that  the  garrison  was  a 
large  one.  The  Federals  made  three  assaults  which  were 
repulsed,  but  the  fourth  assault  was  successful  and  by  dark 
the  entire  line  of  outer  works  for  a  distance  of  more  than 
two  miles  had  been  captured.  General  Hancock's  corps 
arrived  just  after  dark  and,  although  he  outranked  General 
Smith,  he  waived  this  fact  and  offered  the  services  of  his 
troops  to  the  latter,  believing  that  General  Smith  best  un- 
derstood the  situation  of  affairs  and  what  disposition 
should  be  made  of  the  troops  under  the  circumstances.  If 
General  Smith  had  now  seized  the  opportunity  offered  for 
so  doing,  he  could  easily  have  entered  the  city  and  taken 
possession  of  it.  But  he  failed  to  do  this,  merely  used  the 
fresh  troops  of  General  Hancock  to  relieve  a  part  of  his 
own  in  the  captured  works  and  awaited  the  arrival  of  Gen- 
eral Grant,  who  was  marching  on  Petersburg  \yith  the  rest 
of  his  army.  General  Grant  arrived  the  next  morning,  and 
by  his  orders  an  attack  was  made  at  6  o'clock  that  afternoon 
by  three  corps  of  his  armv,  and  the  fighting  continued  all 
night,  resulting  in  the  capture  of  one  line  of  works;  but 
General  Lee  had,  in  the  meantime,  succeeded  in   reinforcing 


JOHN  ASHTON.  213 

the  troops  who  were  defending  the  city,  and  the  further 
advance  of  the  Federals  was  completely  checked.  He  ar- 
rived there  that  night  with  the  greater  part  of  his  arm3' 
and  soon  recaptured  the  line  of  works  that  had  been  taken, 
and  drove  the  Federals  back  to  their  original  line.  They  re- 
newed the  attack  on  June  17th,  and  theentireday  was  spent 
in  heav\'  fighting,  the  Confederates  constantly  repulsing  the 
repeated  assaults  that  were  made  on  their  works.  General 
Grant's  entire  army  having  arrived,  he  ordered  a  general 
attack  on  the  morning  of  June  18th;  but  his  opportunity 
for  a  successful  assault  had  passed,  for  General  Lee  had 
constructed  a  strong  interior  line  of  works  immediately 
ground  the  city,  and  on  the  next  mornitig  withdrew  from 
his  former  line  to  this  one,  which  proved  to  be  impregnable. 
Having  ascertained  that  the  works  which  he  expected  to 
assail  were  abandoned.  General  Grant  ordered  an  assault 
upon  General  Lee's  new  line,  and  the  attack  was  made 
about  noon  by  a  part  of  the  2d  corps  and  promptly  re- 
pulsed. After  that  attacks  were  successively  made  by  the 
2d,  5th,  and  9th  corps  of  Grant's  army,  and  each  attack 
was  repulsed  with  heavy  loss  to  the  Federals.  General 
Grant  now  realized  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to 
capture  Petersburg  by  a  direct  assault,  and  hence  he 
determined  to  besiege  the  cit}',  and  his  army  proceeded  to 
envelop  it  toward  the  South  Side  railroad  as  far  as  possi- 
ble without  attacking  the  Confederate  fortifications.  This 
knowledge  had  been  obtained  by  General  Grant  at  immense 
cost,  for  in  the  several  assaults  made  on  the  Confederate 
fortifications  he  had  lost  nine  thousand  six  hundred  and 
sixty-five  men,  as  shown  by  the  Federal  official  reports. 

We  refrain  from  a  description  of  the  memorable  siege 
whicTi  was  thus  begun  and  continued  from  June  18th,  1864, 
to  April  2d,  1865,  during  which  period  General  Lee  with  a 
poorly  clad,  half-starved,  and  defectively  armed  force  of 
less  than  forty  thousand  troops  successfulU'  held  a  fine  forty 
miles  in  length  against  a  well  clothed,  well  fed,  and  per- 
fectly armed  force  of  more  than  three  times  their  numbers. 
The  marvelously  successful  resistance  made  by  this  band  of 
heroes  to  the  constantly  recurring  assaults  of  the  myriad 
hosts   assaiHng  them,  and  their  daily   deeds  of  valor  have 


214  JOHN  ASRTOJSr. 

never  been  equaled  in  the  history  of  the  world.  Even  to  the 
last  General  Grant's  powerful  army  failed  to  carrj'-  the 
Confederate  works  by  assault  and  General  Lee  finally  aban- 
doned them  on  the  night  of  April  2d,  1865,  only  because  of 
the  fact  that  General  Grant  had  moved  his  army  to  a  point 
from  which  he  could  flank  the  Confederate  army  on  its 
right  and  reach  its  rear,  unless  General  Lee  retreated  from 
Petersburg  and  Richmond. 

We  will  now  return  to  Carrington  and  Ashton  and  give 
some  account  of  the  movements,  during  the  siege  of  Rich- 
mond and  Petersburg,  of  the  commands  to  which  they 
respectively  belonged.  Carrington's  regiment  had  distin- 
guished itself  in  the  several  battles  in  the  Wilderness  and  at 
Spottsylvania  Court-house,  and  also  in  the  other  engage- 
ments occurring  during  General  Grant's  movement  from  the 
Rapidan  to  the  James.  It  was  by  a  sharpshooter  of  this 
regiment  that  General  Grant's  best  corps  commander,  Gen- 
eral John  Sedgwick,  was  killed  on  May  9th,  1864<,  near 
Spottsylvania  Court-house. 

Immediately  after  General  Grant  reached  the  James  a  large 
Federal  force  under  General  David  Hunter  began  a  movement 
on  Lynchburg,  and  in  order  to  meet  this  movement  it 
became  necessary  for  General  Lee  to  detach  a  part  of  his 
armv.  Ewell's  corps,  to  which  Carrington's  regiment  be- 
longed, was  detached  for  this  purpose,  and  General  Jubal 
A.  Early  was  placed  in  command  of  the  same,  as  General  R. 
S.  Ewell  was  at  the  time  unlitted  for  active  service  in  con- 
sequence of  wounds  v^hich  he  had  previously  received. 

General  Early  reached  Lynchburg  June  17th  and  the  next 
day  met  and  repulsed  an  attack  made  by  General  Hunter  on 
the  Confederate  works  around  the  place.  Hunter  retreated 
the  following  day  and  was  so  closely  pressed  by  Early  that 
he  did  not  return  by  way  of  the  Valley  but  took  a  morecircui- 
tous  route  through  Western  Virginia.  This  left  the  Valley 
of  Virginia  comparatively  clear  of  Federal  troops  and 
enabled  General  Early  to  carry  out  instructions  previously 
received  from  General  Lee  to  cross  the  Potomac  and 
threaten  Washington.  Hunter  retreated  toward  Lewis- 
burg,  and  Early  followed  and  harassed  the  fleeing  Federals 
until  they  had  passed  through  Botetourt  county,  some  of  the 


JOHN  ASHTON.  215 

Confederate  cavalry  pursuing  them  as  far  as  Newcastle. 
Early  then  moved  to  the  vicinity  of  Staunton  and  on  June 
28th  started  down  the  Valley  on  his  contemplated  expedi- 
tion across  the  border. 

Thus  Carrington  was  again  to  pass  over  much  of  the 
ground  that  he  had  traveled  about  a  year  before  on  the 
march  to  Pennsylvania,  and  he  naturally  thought  of  the 
hardships  and  dangers  to  which  he  and  his  fellow-soldiers 
had  been  exposed  during  that  disastrous  campaign.  The 
thought  of  these,  however,  did  not  lessen  his  interest  in  or 
dampen  his  ardor  for  the  cause  which  he  had  espoused,  and 
although  he  felt  that  the  expedition  on  which  General  Early 
had  started  would  not,  on  account  of  his  small  force,  ac- 
complish any  great  results  in  the  enemy's  country  and 
might  terminate  in  disaster,  yet  he  knew  that  an  invasion 
of  Maryland  would  cause  the  detachment  of  troops  from 
General  Grant's  army  to  meet  it,  and  thus  materially  aid 
and  greatly  relieve  the  beleaguered  Confederate  army  at 
Richmond  and  Petersburg,  and  in  order  to  accomplish  this 
desirable  result  he  was  willing  to  endure  any  hardship  and 
encounter  any  danger.  General  Early  marched  rapidly 
down  the  Valley  and  by  July  3d  had  captured  Martinsburg, 
a  large  quantity  of  army  stores,  and  a  number  of  prisoners  and 
on  the  next  day  captured  Bolivar  Heights,  and  that  night 
the  Federals  evacuated  Harper's  Ferry.  On  the  following 
day  General  Early  crossed  the  Potomac  into  Maryland  and 
on  July  8th  began  his  movement  on  Washington.  On  the 
next  day,  after  driving  the  enemy's  pickets  through  Fred- 
erick City  toward  Monocacy  Junction,  General  Early 
attacked  and  completely  routed  the  Federals  on  the  Mo- 
nocacy river,  where  they  occupied  two  block-houses  and 
a  strong  line  of  earthworks.  On  July  10th  the  Federals 
retreated  toward  Baltimore,  and  the  Confederates,  after 
destroying  the  iron  bridge  across  the  Monocacy  and  the 
block-houses  at  Monocacy  Junction,  continued  their  march 
toward  Washington.  On  July  11th  the  division  to  which 
Carrington  belonged  (Rodes')  advanced  to  the  border  of 
the  District  of  Columbia,  engaged  the  Federal  skirmishers 
and  drove  them  into  the  fortitications  of  Washington. 
General  Early  found   the  Federal  fortifications  exceedingly 


216  JOHN  ASRTON. 

strong  and  too  fully  manned  to  justify  an  assault  upon 
them  with  his  small  force,  and  hence  refrained  from  making 
such  an  assault  and  encamped  that  day  in  the  vicinity  of 
Silver  Spring. 

McCausland's  brigade  of  cavalry  advanced  into  the  Dis- 
trict of  Columbia  by  the  Georgetown  road  and  engaged 
the  Federals  near  Tennallytown,  about  three  miles  from 
Washington,  and  at  the  same  time  Colonel  Mosbj'  with  his 
command  made  a  demonstration  at  Chain  Bridge  on  the 
Virginia  side  of  the  Potomac.  General  Early  spent  July 
12tb  in  front  of  Washington,  and  during  that  day  Carring- 
ton's  regiment  took  part  in  a  heavy  skirmish  with  the 
enemy  on  the  Seventh  street  turnpike.  That  night  General 
Early  began  to  retire  from  before  Washington,  continued  his 
backward  movement  the  next  day,  recrossed  the  Potomac  on 
July  14th,  and  slowly  retired  up  the  Valley  toward  Stras- 
burg,  reaching  that  place  July  2 2d,  after  having  had 
several  skirmishes  with  the  Federals  who  had  cautiously 
followed  his  retiring  army.  The  movement  on  Washington 
caused  great  excitement  in  the  North  ;  and  it  was  generally 
believed  that  Early  would  capture  the  city.  This  he  would 
doubtless  have  done  if  the  troops  defending  Washington 
had  not  been  promptly  and  heavily  reinforced  by  General 
Grant,  who  sent  to  their  relief  the  6th  corps  from  the 
armies  besieging  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  and  the  19th 
corps  which  had  just  arrived  in  Hampton  Roads  from  the 
Gulf  Department.  On  July  24th  General  Early  began  another 
movement  toward  the  border,  and  by  the  29th  had  driven 
the  Federal  forces  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  across  the 
Potomac,  and  on  the  following  day  McCausland's  brigade 
of  cavalry  made  a  raid  into  Pennsylvania  and  burned  the 
town  of  Chambersburg  in  retaliation  for  the  repeated  out- 
rages of  the  Federal  troops  in  Virginia.  In  consequence  of 
this  movement,  General  Grant  greatly  increased  the  forces 
against  which  General  Early  had  been  operating,  by  adding 
to  them  the  6th  and  19th  corps  and  Torbert's  and  Wilson's 
divisons  of  cavalrj'  which  were  detached  from  the  army  of 
the  Potomac,  and  on  August  7th  General  P.  H.  Sheridan 
was  placed  in  command  of  the  arm}^  thus  constituted,  and 
consisting  of  at  least  forty  thousand  men.     To  oppose  this 


JOHN  ASHTON.  217 

large  army  General  Early  had  only  about  eight  thousand 
and  five  hundred  infantry,  less  than  three  thousand  cavalry, 
and  thirty-six  pieces  of  artillery,  and  hence  about  the  mid- 
dle of  August  he  was  forced  to  retreat  up  the  Valley  to 
Fisher's  Hill.  General  Anderson,  with  Kershaw's  division 
of  infantry  and  Fitzhugh  Lee's  division  of  cavalry,  coming 
to  the  assistance  of  General  Early,  August  17th,  the  two 
Confederate  columns  advanced  on  the  Federals,  drove  them 
back  through  Winchester  and,  pursuing  them  the  following 
day,  forced  them  to  withdraw  to  Harper's  Ferry  and  Mary- 
land Heights. 

On  September  15th  General  Anderson  started  to  Culpeper 
Court-house  with  Kershaw's  division,  leaving  General  Early 
near  Winchester  with  his  original  small  force  to  oppose 
General  Sheridan's  large  arm}^  -which  at  the  time  was 
between  Charlestown  and  Berry ville  and  occupied  a  favora- 
ble position  for  a  successful  attack  on  the  Confederate 
forces  in  the  event  that  General  Early  should  make  any  dis- 
position of  his  troops  that  would  invite  an  attack.  This 
he  did  by  committing  the  blunder  of  posting  Ramseur's 
division  of  infantry  and  Wickham's  division  of  cavalry  at 
Winchester,  Breckinridge's  division  of  infantry,  and  Lomax's 
division  of  cavalry  at  Stephenson's  Depot,  about  five  miles 
from  Winchester,  and  marching  with  Rodes'  and  Gordon's 
divisions  to  Martinsburg  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad,  thus  scattering  his  forces  over 
twent}'  miles  of  territory  and  greatly  hazarding  their 
destruction  in  detail  if  attacked  by  the  largely  superior 
forces  of  his  enemy.  About  this  time  General  Grant  came 
from  City  Point  to  Charlestown  to  confer  with  General 
Sheridan  as  to  -whether  an  attack  should  be  made  on  Gen- 
eral Early's  forces,  and  after  ascertaining  their  widely 
scattered  condition  he  at  once  ordered  the  attack.  It  was 
made  at  daylight  on  September  19th,  and  at  that  time 
General  Early  was  returning  from  his  expedition  to  Mar- 
tinsburg, but  had  not  reached  Winchester,  Gordon's  division 
being  twelve  miles  away  at  Bunker  Hill,  and  Rodes'  divis- 
ion being  at  Stephenson's  Depot,  where  it  had  arrived  the 
night  before  on  its  way  back  from  Martinsburg.  The 
attack  was  made  by  the  6th  corps  and  Wilson's  division  of 


218  JOHN  ASHTON 

cavalry  and  was  met  by  Rarnseur's  division  consisting  of 
about  fifteen  hundred  men,  and  Wickham's  division  of 
cavalry  consisting  of  about  the  same  number  of  men ;  and 
this  little  band  of  heroes  bravely  held  their  ground  against 
sixteen  thousand  infantry  and  twenty-four  pieces  of  artillery 
and  three  thousand  cavalry,  successfully  resisting  for 
hours  the  repeated  attacks  of  the  Federals,  and  holding  the 
latter  in  check  until  the  arrival  of  General  Early  with 
Rodes'  division.  Immediately  thereafter  Gordon's  division 
arrived,  and  at  this  time  the  Federals  had  massed  a  heavy 
force  on  Ramseur's  left  and  were  pressing  forward  for  the 
purpose  of  overwhelming  him.  General  Early  at  once 
attacked  the  advancing  columns  with  Rodes'  and  Gordon's 
division  and  rapidly  drove  them  back  with  great  slaughter. 
The  charge  made  by  Rodes'  division  was  led  by  Gen- 
eral Rodes  in  person,  and  as  Carrington  advanced  with 
his  company  to  the  attack  of  the  Federals,  he  marked  with 
pride  and  enthusiasm  the  fervid  zeal  and  reckless  daring  of 
his  brave  commander,  gallantly  leading  his  troops  against 
at  least  three  times  their  number.  While  thus  leading  them 
he  was  killed,  and  his  loss  was  deeply  mourned,  not  only  by 
his  own  division,  but  also  by  the  entire  army.  The  Federals 
in  front  of  General  Early  made  no  further  attack  for  some 
time,  but  in  the  afternoon  a  heavy  force  of  cavalry 
advanced  on  his  left  Hank  from  the  direction  of  Charles- 
town  by  way  of  Brucetown  and  Stephenson's  Depot,  and 
although  this  force  was  checked  by  General  Breckinridge's 
division,  yet  as  soon  as  the  firing  was  heard  from  this 
direction,  which  was  in  rear  of  Early's  left  flank,  the  infan- 
try all  along  the  line  began  to  fall  back  and  the  Federal 
infantry  again  renewed  their  attack.  This  was  repulsed  by 
General  Early  and  he  could  still  have  remained  master  of 
the  field  if  he  had  only  had  suflicient  cavalry  to  check  the 
progress  of  the  overwhelming  force  of  Federal  cavalry 
that  was  pressing  toward  his  rear;  but  as  he  lacked  this 
force  the  Federal  cavalry  turned  his  left  flank  and  his  men 
again  began  to  give  wa^^  and  he  was  forced  to  retire 
through  Winchester.  He  promptly  formed  line  of  battle 
near  the  town,   reorganized  his  army  and   deliberately  re- 


JOHN  ASIITON.  219 

tired  to  Newtown,  and  on  the  following   day   fell   back   to 
Fisher's  Hill. 

The  Federals  claimed  that  in  the  battle  of  Winchester 
they  won  a  great  victory,  but  if  the  comparative  losses  of 
the  two  armies  be  made  a  test  of  the  truthfulness  of  this 
claim  it  will  be  found  groundless ;  for  the  official  reports  of 
the  casualties  on  both  sides  show  that  the  Federal  loss  in 
killed  and  wounded  was  four  thousand  six  hundred  and 
eighty,  and  that  of  the  Confederates  was  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  seven.  On  September  22d  General  Early 
was  flanked  in  his  position  at  Fisher's  Hill  and  compelled 
to  retreat  up  the  Valley  with  the  loss  of  twenty-four  killed, 
one  hundred  and  ninety-four  wounded,  and  several  hundred 
prisoners,  and  twelve  pieces  of  artillery.  He  had  no 
further  engagements  of  importance  with  the  Federals  until 
the  morning  of  October  19th,  when,  after  a  long  and 
arduous  flank  movement  during  the  preceding  night  by 
Gordon's,  Raraseur's  (formerly  Rodes'),  and  Pegram's  divis- 
ions, under  the  immediate  command  of  General  Gordon,  the 
rear  of  the  Federal  army  on  Cedar  Creek  was  reached, 
and,  by  a  simultaneous  attack  by  Gordon's  forces  in  the 
rear  and  Kershaw's  division  in  front,  the  8th  and  19th 
corps  of  Sheridan's  army  were  completely  routed  and  one 
thousand  and  three  hundred  prisoners  and  eighteen  pieces  of 
artillery  captured.  The  6th  corps  was  shortly  afterward 
attacked  and,  after  making  some  resistance,  fell  back  be- 
yond Middletown.  The  successful  movement  thus  begun 
would  soon  have  terminated  in  a  glorious  victory  but  for 
the  inexcusable  and  insubordinate  conduct  of  many  of  the 
Confederates,  who  abandoned  the  pursuit  of  the  routed 
Federals  and  stopped  to  plunder  their  captured  camp.  Gen- 
eral H.  G.  Wright  was  in  command  of  the  Federals,  on 
account  of  the  temporary  absence  of  General  Sheridan,  and 
after  retreating  a  short  distance  beyond  Middletown  he 
rallied  his  men,  re-formed  his  line,  and  awaited  the  expected 
advance  of  General  Early.  The  advance  was  not  made,  as 
General  Early's  ranks  had  been  so  depleted  by  the  absence  of 
the  camp  plunderers  that  his  force  at  the  front  was  insuf- 
ficient to  authorize  an  attack.  About  this  time  General 
Sheridan  arrived  on  the  field  and,  after  waiting  some  time 


220  JOHN  A  SET  ON. 

for  General  Early  to  attack  him  and  finding  that  he  did  not 
advance,  put  his  armj-  in  motion  to  attack  the  Confederates 
and  regain  his  captured  camp. 

The  attack  was  at  first  gallantly  met  and  the  force  in 
front  of  the  division  to  which  Carrington  belonged  (now 
Ramseur's)  was  driven  back,  but  subsequentl3^  Gordon's 
division,  on  the  left,  gave  way  and  then  Kershaw's  and 
Ramseur's  divisions  also  gave  way  through  fear  of  bein^ 
flanked  when  they  perceived  Gordon's  line  falling  back. 
Carrington,  in  common  with  other  officers  who  had  kept 
their  wits  about  them,  endeavored  to  check  their  retreating 
troops  and  some  of  them  were  rallied  and  made  another 
stand  against  the  Federals.  However,  it  was  only  tempo- 
rary, for  soon  the  left  again  gave  way,  the  brave  and  gal- 
lant Ramseur  was  shot  down  while  courageously  com- 
manding his  division,  and  the  entire  command  became 
demoralized  and  precipitately  retreated  in  a  disorderly  and 
panic-stricken  manner,  heedless  of  threats  and  deaf  to 
entreaties  that  were  earnestly  made  by  their  officers.  Al- 
though Sheridan  did  not  follow  with  his  infantr3',  and  the 
organized  efforts  of  five  hundred  men  would  have  saved 
the  captured  artillery,  wagons,  and  ambulances  of  the  Fed- 
erals and  Early's  own  guns,  which  had  all  been  earned 
across  Cedar  Creek,  yet  the  Confederate  troops  were  so 
completely  demoralized  and  panic-stricken  that  a  small 
force  of  Federal  cavalry  crossed  the  creek  without  oppo- 
sition, and  was  allowed  to  pass  through  the  Confederate 
troops  and  the  retiring  train  upon  the  pike,  tear  up  a  bridge 
in  front  of  the  latter  and  thus  capture  the  greater  part  of 
the  artiller3'  and  a  number  of  ordnance  and  medical  wag- 
ons and  ambulances.  The^glorious  victory  of  the  morning 
had  been  converted  into  an  inglorious  disaster  in  the  after 
noon  by  the  lack  of  discipline  and  the  cupidity  of  the  Con- 
federates, which  caused  them  to  abandon  the  results  of 
their  signal  success  at  the  outset,  and  their  subsequent 
strange  and  causeless  panic  when  the  Federals  returned  to 
attack  them.  That  this  panic  was  causeless  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  when  it  began  the  Confederate  loss  in  killed, 
^oui^ded  and  prisoners  had  been  exceedingly  small,  and  at 
the  close  of  the  engagement  amounted  to  only  about  two 


JOHN  ASHTON.  221 

thousand  men,  while  that  of  the  Federals  was  five  thou- 
sand six  hundred  and  sixty-five  men. 

This  battle  practically  terminated  Early's  operations  in 
the  Valley,  which  Sheridan's  barbarities,  as  v^^e  have  before 
stated,  had  rendered  desolate,  and  about  two  months  after- 
ward the  remnants  of  E well's  old  corps,  under  General  Gor- 
don, returned  to  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia  and  re- 
joined their  former  comrades-in-arms  in  the  trenches 
around  Petersburg.  There  Carrington  did  his  full  duty 
during  the  protracted  siege,  gallantly  led  his  company  in 
Gordon's  brilliant  assault  upon  and  capture  of  Fort  Stead- 
man  on  March  5th,  1865,  where  his  new  brigadecommander, 
General  Philip  Cook,  was  wounded,  cheerfully  and  hero- 
ically siiared  with  his  men  the  hardships  and  dangers  of 
General  Lee's  subsequent  retreat,  and  brav^ely  led  the  few 
survivors  of  his  company  in  Gordon's  final  charge  upon  the 
Federal  lines,  just  before  General  Lee's  surrender,  in  which 
the  last  piece  of  artillery  taken  by  the  army  of  Northern 
Virginia  was  captured  by  Cook's  brigade,  and  it  was  the 
battle-scarred  flag  of  the  regiment  to  which  Carrington 
belonged  that  was  planted  upon  the  captured  gun. 

Immediately  after  General  Lee's  surrender,  Carrington 
hastened  to  Richmond  to  rejoin  his  wife,  who  had  been  stay- 
ing with  Ruth  Middleton  during  the  siege.  The  latter  had 
remained  at  her  post  in  the  discharge  of  her  hospital  duties 
ever  since  the  bridal  party  left  her  on  January  1st,  1864, 
and  many  Confederate  soldiers  who  were  wounded  in  the 
trenches  in  front  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg  remembered 
long  afterward  with  warmest  gratitude  the  cheering  smile 
and  kindly  attention  of  the  pure  and  noble  Georgia  girl  who, 
like  an  angel  of  mercy,  hovered  around  their  bedsides,  min- 
istered to  their  necessities,  and  did  all  within  her  power  to 
restore  them  to  health  and  strength.  She  did  not  leave  her 
post  when  the  city  was  evacuated  and,  while  thousands  of 
terror-stricken  citizens  w^ere  hastilj^  fleeing  from  the  aban- 
doned capital,  which  was  partly  in  flames,  and  the  streets 
were  thronged  with  Federal  soldiers,  and  drunken  and  dan- 
gerous mobs,  wild  with  want  and  bent  on  plunder,  she 
remained  behind  to  minister  to  the  sick  and  wounded  Con- 
federates in  the  hospital  where  she  had  begun  her  noble 
and  patriotic  work. 


222  JOHN  ASH  TON. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Some  time  after  the  last  mentioned  operations  of  the 
brigade  to  which  Ashton  belonged,  its  former  commander, 
General  W,  H.  F.  Lee,  was  made  a  major-general  and  com- 
manded a  division  of  cavalry  when  the  campaign  opened  in 
May  1864,  and  General  John  R.Chambliss,  Jr.,  was  in  com- 
mand of  the  brigade.  This  brigade  participated  in  the  fight 
at  Todd's  Tavern,  May  7th,  the  engagement  at  Spottsylva- 
nia.  May  12th,  and  in  other  engagements  during  General 
Grant's  movement  from  the  Rapidan  to  the  James,  and 
hence  Ashton  was  frequently  subjected  to  the  hardships 
and  peril  of  that  exceptionally  severe  campaign. 

On  June  17th  General  R.  E.  Lee  ordered  the  brigade  to 
operate  with  General  Wade  Hampton  who  had  just  de- 
feated an  aggressive  movement  of  General  P.  H.  Sheridan's 
cavalry  on  Gordonsville  and  Charlottesville,  General  Sheri- 
dan's object  having  been  to  destroy  the  Virginia  railroad 
from  Trevilian  Station  to  Louisa  Court-house  and  from 
Cobham  Station  to  Charlottesville,  unite  with  General  Hun- 
ter in  his  attack  on  Lynchburg  (the  successful  repulse  of 
which  by  General  Early  has  been  previoush-  mentioned)  and 
then  aid  Hunter  in  reaching  General  Grant's  army.  At  the 
time  the  brigade  reached  General  Hampton,  General  Sheri- 
dan had  retreated  to  the  White  House  and  started  with  his 
command  and  a  large  wagon  train  to  cross  the  James  and 
join  General  Grant's  army.  Cham  bliss'  brigade  had  a  skii-- 
mish  with  a  portion  of  Sheridan's  command  at  the  Forge 
Bridges  on  the  Chickahorainj  June  23d,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing day  that  brigade  and  the  brigade  of  General  Martin  W. 
Gary  displayed  great  gallantry  in  an  engagement  which 
General  Hampton  had  with  Gregg's  division  at  Saint 
Mary's  Church,  and  materially  aided  in  securing  a  complete 
victory  for  the  Confederates.  The  Federals  were  in- 
trenched in  a  strong  position, but  by  a  vigorous  assault  on 
their  flank  by  Chambliss'  and  Gary's  brigades  and  a  similar 
attack  in  front  by  the  other  troops  under  the  immediate 
command  of  General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  they  were  soon  driven 
from    their    works  in    confusion,    leaving    their  dead   and 


JOHN  ASIITON.  223 

wounded  on  the  field.  As  they  retreated,  the  Phillips  and 
Jeff  Davis  legions,  of  Young's  brigades,  raising  "the  Rebel 
yell,"  bore  down  upon  them  with  gleaming  sabres  in  one  of 
those  resistless  charges  for  which  these  regiments  were 
noted,  and  drove  them  for  three  miles  in  a  perfect  rout. 
The  12th  Virginia  and  the  42d  Virginia  battalion  partici- 
pated in  a  part  of  this  charge,  and  the  Federals  were 
ultimately  driven  within  two  and  a  half  miles  of  Charles 
City  Court-house,  a  distance  of  six  miles,  being  pursued 
until  nearly  10  o'clock  that  night.  The  attack  by  Cham- 
bliss'  and  Gary's  brigades  was  made  on  foot,  and  Ashton 
was  among  the  dismounted  troopers  who  engaged  in  the 
same.  For  a  short  time  he  and  his  comrades  were  subjected 
to  a  furious  fire  of  artillery  and  small  arms,  as  the  Federals 
made  a  stubborn  resistance  at  first; but,  undaunted  by  this, 
the  Confederates  pressed  gallantly  forward,  loudly  cheering 
as  they  charged,  and  soon  drove  the  Federals  from  their 
works,  as  already  mentioned. 

Ashton's  conduct  throughout  the  engagement  was  in 
keeping  with  his  previous  acts  of  bravery,  and  he  and  his 
comrades  had  become  so  accustomed  to  fighting  on  foot 
that  their  gallant  achievements  in  this  engagement  would 
have  reflected  honor  on  a  brigade  of  veteran  infantry. 

The  Federal  loss  in  killed,  wounded,  and  captured  was 
three  hundred  and  fifty-seven,  about  two  hundred  of  these 
being  killed  and  wounded,  and  the  entire  loss  of  the  Con- 
federates was  about  one  hundred.  The  Federals  retreated 
to  Douthat's  Landing  the  next  day,  and  on  June  27th 
crossed  the  James  river.  Before  the  crossing  was  completed. 
General  Sheridan  was  ordered  to  march  rapidly  to  the  sup- 
port of  General  James  H.  Wilson,  who  was  then  returning 
from  a  raid,  the  object  of  which  had  been  the  destruction 
of  parts  of  the  South  Side  and  Richmond  and  Danville  rail- 
roads for  the  purpose  of  breaking  General  Lee's  connections 
south  of  Petersburg. 

General  Hampton  being  notified  of  this  raid,  also  crossed 
the  James  and  moved  rapidly  to  Stony  Creek  Depot  on 
June  28th,  to  intercept  General  Wilson.  Having  ascer- 
tained the  route  of  the  Federals,  General  Hampton  marched 
toward  Sappony  Church,  and  soon  after  crossing  Sappony 


224  JOHN  A  SB  TON. 

Creek  the  head  of  the  Federal  column  was  charged  by  Ash- 
ton's  regiment  (the  9th  Virginia)  and  driven  back  behind 
the  church,  where  the  charge  was  checked  by  a  considerable 
force  of  dismounted  men  posted  in  a  strong  position.  Gen- 
eral Chambliss  immediately  dismounted  his  men,  formed  a 
line  near  the  church  and  was  soon  attacked  by  the  Federals. 
He  bravely  held  his  ground  and,  being  reinforced  by  the  7th 
Virginia  cavalry  and  about  two  hundred  infantry  of  Hol- 
comb's  Legion,  repulsed  the  attack  all  along  the  line.  Young's 
brigade,  under  Colonel  G.  J.Wright,  of  Cobb's  Legion,  was 
dismounted  and  put  in  position,  and  the  line  thus  formed 
remained  unbroken  during  the  night,  although  the  Federals 
used  their  artillery  freely  and  made  frequent  attacks  on  the 
Confederates.  The  Federals  had  two  lines  of  breastworks 
and  their  position  was  too  strong  for  a  front  attack,  and 
hence  at  daylight  General  Hampton  threw  portions  of 
Young's  and  Rosser's  brigades  upon  their  left  flank,  and  at 
the  same  time  General  Chambliss  attacked  with  the  front 
line,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  Federals  were  driven  out  of 
their  works  and  retreated  in  confusion,  leaving  their  dead 
and  wounded  behind  them.  They  were  closely  pursued  for 
several  miles  when,  finding  that  they  had  taken  the  road  to 
Reams  Station,  General  Hampton  moved  by  Stony  Creek 
Depot  to  the  Halifax  road  to  intercept  them.  Soon  after 
crossing  Rowanty  Creek,  he  met  an  advance  of  Federals 
who  had  crossed  the  Halifax  road,  and  at  once  charged 
and  routed  them  with  a  portion  of  Chambliss'  brigade. 
Immediately  afterward  another  party  of  Federals  who 
were  crossing  the  Halifax  road  were  charged  by  General 
Hampton  with  a  portion  of  the  13th  Virginia  of  Chambliss' 
brigade,  and  driven  back,  and  Lieutenant-colonel  Phillips, 
of  that  regiment,  was  sent  forward  to  get  possession  of  the 
bridge  over  Rowanty  Creek.  Finding  that  a  portion  of  the 
Federals  had  crossed  the  creek  and  taken  a  road  leading 
east.  Colonel  R.  L.  T.  Beale  was  sent  with  two  or  three 
squadrons  of  the  9th  Virginia  in  pursuit  of  them,  Ashton 
being  with  the  detachment.  The  Federals  were  so  com- 
pletel3'  demoralized  that  Ashton  and  his  comrades  had  but 
little  fighting  to  do,  but  had  some  very  hard  riding  in  their 
pursuit  of  the  fugitives,  which  continued  for  four  miles  and 


JOHN  ASHTOJSr.  225 

resulted  iti  the  capture  of  a  large  number   of  the  Federals 
and  the  dispersion  of  the  rest. 

General  Hampton  had  been  successful  at  all  points;  the 
Federal  force  was  completely  broken  and  the  fragments 
were  seeking  safety  in  flight  in  various  directions  when 
darkness  terminated  their  pursuit.  They  continued  their 
flight  during  the  night,  and,  although  vigorously  pursued 
the  next  day,  succeeded  in  rejoining  the  Federal  army. 

In  the  fight  at  Sappony  Church  and  during  the  next  day 
the  Federals  lost  heavily  in  killed  and  wounded,  and  the 
Confederates  captured  eight  hundred  and  six  prisoners  and 
also  one  hundred  and  twent3' -seven  negroes  whom  the  Fed- 
erals were  endeavoring  to  carry  into  their  lines.  The  loss 
in  Hampton's  division  was  two  killed,  eighteen  wounded, 
and  two  missing. 

The  pursuit  of  the  Federals  w^hicb  terminated  near  Pe- 
ters' bridge  on  the  Nottaway,  closed  the  active  operations 
of  General  Hampton's  command  beginning  on  June  8th. 
During  that  time  the  command  had  no  rest,  was  scantily 
supplied  with  rations  and  forage,  marched  more  than  four 
hundred  miles,  fought  the  greater  part  of  six  days  and  one 
night,  killed  and  wounded  many  Federals,  captured  over 
two  thousand  prisoners,  many  guns,  small  arms,  horses, 
wagons  and  other  material  of  war,  and  succeeded  in  defeat- 
ing two  formidable  and  well-organized  expeditions  of  the 
Federals.  In  the  accomplishment  of  this,  General  Hamp- 
ton's loss  was  seven  hundred  and  nineteen  killed,  wounded, 
and  missing. 

In  the  operation  against  General  Wilson,  Ashton's  regi- 
ment had  captured  three  Federal  flags,  and  Colonel  Beale 
presented  tbem  to  General  Hampton,  but,  owing  to  the 
army  regulations,  the  latter  could  not  retain  them,  and  it 
was  a  source  of  regret  to  him  that  he  had  to  part  with 
these  tokens  of  the  admiration  entertained  for  him  by  the 
commanding  officer  of  the  gallant  Virginians  who  had  so 
recently  begun  to  operate  with  his  command. 

During  the  month  of  July  the  cavalry  on  the  right  of 
General  Lee's  army  were  comparatively  inactive,  and  hence 
Ashton  and  his  comrades  had  but  little  service  to  perform, 
except  that  of  picket  duty.       The  infantry  of  the  army  was 


226  JOHN  AS  ETON. 

not  SO  fortunate,  for,  on  the  night  of  July  26th,  General 
Grant  sent  the  2d  corps,  under  General  W.  S.  Hancock,  and 
three  divisions  of  cavalry,  under  General  P.  H.  Sheridan,  to 
the  rlorth  side  of  the  James  for  the  purpose  of  surprising 
the  troops  on  General  Lee's  left,  breaking  through  his 
lines  at  that  point,  and  destroying  the  railroads  from  near 
Richmond  out  to  the  South  Anna.  The  Federals  were  re- 
pulsed by  a  portion  of  General  Longstreet's  corps,  and  the 
expedition  proved  a  complete  failure. 

This  demonstration  having  caused  General  Lee  to  send 
from  Petersburg  all  of  his  troops  except  three  divisions, 
General  Grant  decided  to  assault  the  works  in  front  of  that 
place,  hoping  that  he  could  carry  them  and  capture  the  city, 
especially  as  "Burnside's  mine,"  which  extended  under  a 
part  of  the  works  in  front  of  Cemetery  Hill,  was  ready  for 
explosion.  Hence,  about  5  o'clock  a.  m.  on  July  30th,  the. 
mine,  containing  eight  thousand  pounds  of  powder,  was 
exploded  and  blew  up  a  part  of  the  Confederate  works, 
known  as  Pegram's  salient,  and  occupied  by  a  part  of 
Pegram's  artillery  and  the  18th  and  22d  South  Carolina 
regiments.  The  explosion  formed  a  crater  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five  feet  long,  ninety-seven  feet  wide,  and  thirty  feet 
deep,  made  a  considerable  breach  in  the  lines,  and  killed  and 
wounded  two  hundred  and  seventy-eight  men.  The  assault 
was  then  made  by  the  9th  corps,  fifteen  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy-two  strong,  under  General  A.E.  Burnside, 
supported  by  the  18th  corps,  fifteen  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  thirty-four  strong,  under  General  E.  O.  C.  Ord  and  the 
5th  corps,  eleven  thousand  nine  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
strong,  under  General  G.  K.  Warren— the  entire  force  aggre- 
gating forty-three  thousand  one  hundred  and  twenty-three 
men.  To  meet  this  attack  the  Confederates  had  only  the 
divisions  of  Generals  Bushrod  R.  Johnson,  E.  F.  Hoke,  and 
William  Mahone,  and  they  were  extended  along  the  works 
a  considerable  distance  on  each  side  of  the  breach  that  had 
been  made  by  the  explosion^  General  S.  Elliott's  brigade,  of 
Johnson's  division,  occupying  the  salient,  and  the  remain- 
der of  the  division  the  line  adjacent  thereto,  Mahone's  divi- 
sion being  on  the  right  and  Hoke's  division  on  the  left  of 
Johnson's  division. 


JOHN  ASHTON.  227 

"When  the  dense  smoke  and  dust  caused  by  the  explosion 
had  cleared  away,  the  Confederates  discovered  that  the 
advance  forces  of  the  Federals  had  occupied  the  breach,  and 
thousands  of  othe  troops  were  pressing  forward  to  their 
support.  Two  hundred  and  lift3^-six  men  of  the  18th  and 
22d  South  Carolina  regiments  of  Elliott's  brigade  had  been 
killed  and  wounded  by  the  explosion,  and  General  Johnson 
promptly  concentrated  the  remainder  of  the  brigade  at  and 
near  the  breach  and  sent  to  Generals  Hoke  and  Mahone  for 
reinforcements.  The  former  could  not  at  first  furnish  an3- 
troops  on  account  of  the  weakness  of  his  line,  but  after 
awhile  sent  the  61st  North  Carolina  regiment,  and  about  the 
same  time  General  Mahone  arrived  wath  Wright's  and 
Sanders'  brigades.  In  the  meantime  a  furious  conflict  had 
been  waged  in  front  of  and  on  both  sides  of  the  breach  in 
the  Confederate  line.  General  Johnson  having  repulsed  and 
held  in  check  for  hours  an  overwhelming  force  of  Federals 
with  a  little  more  than  three  regiments  of  Elliott's  brigade, 
two  regiments  of  Ransom's  brigade  and  two  regiments  of 
Wise's  brigade,  and  a  part  of  the  artillery.  After  the 
arrival  of  General  Mahone  two  charges  were  made  by  the 
Confederates  and  the  Federals  were  partially  dislodged 
from  their  position  by  12  o'clock ;  and  at  2  o'clock  p.  m. 
by  a  third  charge  they  were  routed  and  driven  back  and 
the  Confederates  obtained  possession  of  the  crater  and 
the  adjacent  works,  thereby''  completely  re-establishing  their 
lines.  Before  this  last  charge  was  made  the  crater  had 
become  densely  crowded  with  Federal  soldiers  who  had 
there  sought  safety  from  the  fatal  fire  of  the  Confederates 
and  failed  to  find  it,  for  the  latter  pressed  forward  to  the 
edge  of  the  crater  and  by  a  rapid  and  destructive  fire  made 
of  that  place  of  refuge  a  veritable  slaughter-pen.  Hence, 
when  the  Confederates  entered  it  in  their  final  charge  they 
found  its  bottom  and  sides  literally  covered  with  dead  and 
wounded  Federals.  Their  surviving  comrades  were  soon 
captured,  and  greatly  increased  the  large  number  of  pris- 
oners already  taken. 

Considering  the  great  disparity  in  numbers  on  the  side  of 
the  Confederates,  and  the  signal  success  achieved  by  them, 
this  was  one  of  the  most  notable  victories  of  the  Civil  War, 


228  JOHN  A8HT0N. 

and  the  brave  and  successful  defense  of  the  breach  in  their 
lines  bj'  General  Johnson  and  his  gallant  little  band  against 
the  assaults  of  the  9th  corps  should  take  rank  in  military 
annals  with  the  courageous  conduct  of  "Leonidas  and  his 
brave  three  hundred  at  the  pass  of  Thermopylae." 

The  loss  of  the  Federals,  as  reported  by  General  Meade, 
was  four  thousand  four  hundred  killed,  wounded,  and  miss- 
ing; and  the  Confederate  loss  was  about  one  third  .as 
great. 

In  a  communication  to  General  Meade,  August  1st,  1864, 
General  Grant  referred  to  this  movement  of  the  Federal 
army  as  a  "miserable  failure,"  and  said:  "So  fair  an  op- 
portunity will  probably  never  occur  again  for  carrying 
fortifications.  Preparations  were  good,  orders  ample,  and 
everything,  so  far  as  I  could  see,  subsequent  to  the  explo- 
sion of  the  mine,  shows  that  almost  without  loss,  the  crest 
beyond  the  mine  could  have  been  carried." 

This  inference  of  General  Grant's  might  have  been  correct 
if  "the  crest  beyond  the  mine"  had  been  defended  by  hireling 
soldiers,  but  was  entirely  groundless  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  it  was  defended  by  patriots,  whose  courage  was 
phenomenal  and  who  were  fighting  a  cause  dearer  to  them 
than  life. 

In  August  Charabliss'  brigade  was  moved  north  of  the 
James  to  the  left  flank  of  General  Lee's  army.  As  it  passed 
through  Richmond  on  the  route,  Ashton  secured  an  hour's 
leave  of  absence  from  his  regiment  for  the  purpose  of  visit- 
ing Ruth  Middleton.  She  was  still  boarding  at  Mrs. 
Slaughter's,  and  hadbeenconstantly  engaged  in  the  perform- 
ance of  her  hospital  duties  since  Ashton  left  her  nearly 
eight  months  before.  Bertha  had  been  with  her  ever  since 
the  opening  of  theSpottsylvania  campaign  in  Alay  and  was 
now,  as  formerly,  assisting  her  at  the  hospital.  Ashton's 
unexpected  visit  was  naturally  a  source  of  great  delight  to 
Ruth  and  Bertha  and  the  former  was  deeply  comforted  by 
it,  as  she  had  been  earnestly  longing  to  see  him.  He 
received  a  warm  welcome  from  Mrs.  Slaughter  and  Kate, 
with  whom  he  was  quite  a  favorite.  Randolph  Slaughter 
was  not  at  home,  for,  although  but  a  lad  of  fifteen,  he  had 
joined  the  Confederate  troops  in  the  Department   of  Rich- 


JOHN  ASBTON.  229 

mond,  and  was  serving  in  the  trenches  as  a  member  of  the 
2d  battalion  Virginia  Reserves,  in  General  George  W.  C. 
Lee's  brigade. 

Although  there  had  been  great  changes  for  the  worse  in 
the  affairs  of  the  Confederacy  since  Ashton  last  saw  these 
ladies,  and  they,  in  the  meantime,  had  experienced  many 
trials  and  discomforts,  he  saw  no  sign  of  gloom  in  their 
faces  and  found  them  exceedingly  cheerful  and  hopeful,  for 
they  still  had  an  abiding  faith  in  the  ultimate  success  of  the 
Confederate  arms,  confidently  believing  that,  in  accordance 
with  the  fitness  of  things  and  the  operation  of  the  principles 
of  justice,  right  would  finally  triumph  over  might.  This  spirit 
of  hopefulness  and  the  confidence  shown  by  his  lady  friends 
in  the  final  success  of  the  sacred  cause  for  which  he  was 
fighting,  fired  Ashton 's  soul  with  renewed  zeal  and  enthusi- 
asm, and,  although  he  was  just  from  the  field  of  battle 
where  the  unequal  contest  was  being  almost  daily  waged 
be  ween  the  friends  and  the  foes  of  that  cause,  with  stupen- 
dous odds  in  favor  of  the  latter,  he  received  fresh  inspira- 
tion and  encouragement  to  aid  in  prosecuting  the  contest 
with  even  greater  energy  and  persistency  than  ever  before. 
Hence,  when  his  brief  visit  had  ended  and  he  galloped  away 
to  overtake  his  comrades,  his  heart  was  not  only  throbbing 
with  delight  in  consequence  of  the  joy  which  he  had  expe- 
rienced in  being  with  the  object  of  his  love,  but  it  was  also 
filled  with  increased  hopefulness,  ardor,  and  enthusiasm  in 
regard  to  the  heroic  contest  which  the  South  was  waging 
in  defense  of  her  constitutional  rights. 

By  rapid  riding  Ashton  overtook  his  regiment  in  a  short 
time,  and  was  back  in  ranks  long  before  it  reached  its  place 
of  encampment  that  evening.  He  and  his  comrades  learned 
the  next  day  that  the  brigade  had  been  transferred  to  the 
north  side  of  the  James  to  aid  in  checking  a  movement 
which  was  about  to  be  made  by  a  large  part  of  General 
Grant's  army  against  the  Confederate  line  between  the 
Darbytown  and  Charles  City  roads.  A  part  of  the  brigade 
was  posted  at  Deep  Creek  on  the  latter  road,  and  it  was 
suddenly  attacked  on  August  16th  by  General  D.  McM. 
Gregg's  division  of  cavalry  and  General  Nelson  A.  Miles' 
brigade  of    infantry.     General    Chambliss  made  a  gallant 


230  JOUN  ASHTON. 

defense  with  his  small  force,  but  was  driven  back  toward 
White's  Tavern  by  overwhelming  numbers,  and  while 
bravely  commanding  his  men  and  stubbornly  resisting  the 
advance  of  the  Federals,  was  killed  by  some  member  of 
Miles'  brigade.  In  a  few  moments  after  he  fell  several  of 
his  barbarous  foes  rushed  forward,  and  in  a  spirit  of  vandal- 
ism cut  some  of  the  buttons  and  ornaments  off  his  uniform. 
Shortly  after  this  the  Confederates  were  reinforced,  and 
turning  upon  the  Federals  they  attacked  them  vigorously 
and  fiercely  and  drove  them  back  beyond  White  Oak 
swamp.  The  blood  of  Ashton  and  his  comrades  had  boiled 
with  fiery  indignation  when  they  witnessed  the  barbarous 
treatment  to  which  the  body  of  General  Chambliss  bad 
been  subjected,  and  in  their  subsequent  attack  on  the  Fed- 
erals they  strove  with  unwonted  vigor  and  fury  to  punish 
the  perpetrators  of  the  dastardly  deed.  They  were  strongly 
attached  to  him  and  deeply  lamented  his  tragic  death. 
This  sense  of  loss  in  the  death  of  their  gallant  leader  was 
not  confined  to  his  immediate  command  ;  for  General  R.  E. 
Lee,  in  writing  to  General  Hampton  August  19th,  said: 
"The  loss  sustained  by  the  cavalry  in  the  fall  of  General 
Chambliss  will  be  felt  throughout  the  army  in  which,  by  his 
courage,  energy  and  skill,  he  had  won  for  himself  an  hon- 
orable name." 

The  reader  will  doubtless  remember  that  during  the  Get- 
tysburg campaign  Chambliss,  then  colonel  of  the  13th  Vir- 
ginia regiment,  was  commanding  the  brigade  inconsequence 
of  the  fact  that  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee  had  been  wounded  at 
Brandy  Station,  and  for  some  time  after  General  Cham- 
bliss' death  it  was  known  as  Chambliss'  brigade.  As  such 
we  will  continue  to  designate  it. 

After  General  Grant's  movement  north  of  the  James  was 
repulsed,  Chambliss'  brigade  returned  to  its  former  position 
on  the  right  of  General  Lee's  army,  and  on  August  25th  this 
and  three  other  brigades  of  the  cavalry  corps,  to  the  com- 
mand of  which  General  Hampton  had  been  assigned  August 
11th,  had  a  severe  engagement  with  the  Federals  in  their 
intrenchments  at  Reams'  Station,  where  they  were  en- 
deavoring to  destroy  the  Petersburg  and  Weldon  railroad. 
In   this  engagement    General   Hampton  was  co-operating 


JOHN  ASIITON.  231 

with  General  A.  P.  Hill,  whose  force  consisted  of  Cook's 
and  McRae's  brigades,  under  General  Henry  Heth,  Lane's 
brigade,  tinder  General  James  Conner,  and  Pegram's  artillery, 
and  they  were  opposed  by  the  2d  corps  under  General  W.S. 
Hancock  and  General  D.  McM.  Gregg's  division  of  cavalry. 
The  Federals  were  driven  out  of  their  breastworks  and  com- 
pletely defeated  with  a  loss  of  two  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  forty-two  killed,  wounded  ,  and  captured,  twelve 
stand  of  colors,  nine  pieces  of  artillery,  three  thousand  one 
hundred  stand  of  small  arms,  and  thirty-two  horses.  The 
Confederates  lost  seven  hundred  and  twenty  killed,  wounded, 
and  captured.  General  Hampton's  command  carried 
one  line  of  intrenchments  with  great  gallantry  and  captured 
seven  hundred  and  eighteen  prisoners.  Chambliss'  brigade 
was  foremost  in  the  fray,  and  Ashton  and  his  comrades 
fought  with  such  fury  and  fierce  persistency  as  indicated 
that  they  were  again  bent  on  severely  punishing  their  foes 
for  the  barbarous  indignity  to  which  the  dead  body  of  their 
former  commander  had  recently  been  subjected,  and  by  a 
singular  coincidence  this  well-merited  punishment  was  being 
inflicted  upon  the  proper  objects  of  it,  for  a  part  of  the 
Federals  whom  they  were  fighting  consisted  of  Miles' 
brigade  and  Gregg's  division  o  cavalry,  some  members  of 
which  had  been  the  perpetrators  of  that  barbarous  outrage. 

In  his  report  of  the  engagement  General  Hampton  said  : 
"Chambliss'  brigade  was  in  advance  when  we  met  the  enemy, 
and  it  was  engaged  all  day,  displaying  through  the  whole 
fight  marked  gallantry." 

To  have  won  such  praise  from  a  leader  who  was  the  em- 
bodiment of  valor,  and  the  commander  of  a  corps  whose 
chivalrous  achievements  have  never  been  surpassed,  was 
proof  of  the  fact  that  Ashton  and  his  brave  comrades  had 
displayed  signal  courage  on  this  occasion,  and  they  were 
naturally  proud  of  the  commendation  received  from  the 
bold  and  gallant  leader  who  had  taken  the  place  made 
vacant  by  the  death  of  their  former  corps  commander,  the 
daring  and  chivalrous  Stuart. 

For  nearly  three  weeks  after  this  engagement  Ashton  and 
his  comrades  were  on  outpost  duty  near  Reams'  Station, 
the  regiment  to  which   he  belonged  being  encamped  about 


232  JOUN  ASHTON. 

five  miles  west  of  that  place.  On  September  13tli,  they  were 
summoned  to  take  part  in  a  novel  and  daring  expedition 
planned  by  General  Hampton,  the  object  of  which  was  the 
capture  of  a  large  herd  of  cattle  which  one  of  his  scouts, 
Sergeant  George  D.  Shadburne,  had  reported  to  be  grazing 
near  Coggins'  Point,  on  the  James  river.  On  the  following 
morning  General  Hampton  took  the  division  of  General  W. 
H.  F.  Lee,  the  brigades  of  Generals  Rosser  and  Bearing  and 
a  detachment  of  one  hundred  men  from  the  brigades  of 
Generals  Young  and  Dunovant,  under  the  command  of 
Lieutenant-colonel  Miller,  of  the  6th  South  Carolina  cav- 
alry, and  marched  down  the  west  side  of  Rowanty  Creek  to 
Wilkinson's  Bridge  and  bivouacked  there  that  night. 

In  order  to  accomplish  the  object  of  the  expedition  it  was 
necessary  to  get  in  the  rear  of  the  Federal  army,  and  this 
could  be  done  only  by  breaking  through  their  lines  at  some 
point.  General  Hampton  selected  Sycamore  church,  in 
Prince  George  county,  as  the  point  to  be  attacked,  and  on 
the  next  day  marched  rapidly  to  a  place  on  the  Blackwater 
where  Cooke's  Bridge  had  formerly  stood,  but  which,  as  he 
knew,  had  been  destroyed;  and  it  was  for  that  reason  that 
he  had  chosen  this  route,  as  he  thought  that  in  consequence 
of  the  destruction  of  the  bridge  the  Federals  would  not  ex- 
pect a'n  attack  from  that  direction.  A  new  bridge  having 
been  constructed  b^'  his  men,  he  crossed  the  stream,  and  at 
12  o'clock  that  night  the  command  resumed  its  march,  Gen- 
eral Lee  going  to  the  left  of  Sycamore  church,  General  Bear- 
ing proceeding  to  Cocke's  mill  to  the  right  of  the  church, 
and  General  Hampton,  with  Rosser's  brigade  and  the  de- 
tachment under  Lieutenant-colonel  Miller,  moving  directly 
to  the  church,  General  Rosser  being  charged  with  the  duty 
of  driving  the  Federals  from  their  position  at  the  church 
and  securing  the  cattle  when  that  was  accomplished.  The 
three  columns  reached  the  points  to  which  they  were 
ordered,  without  being  discovered,  and  at  5  o'clock  a.  m. 
on  the  16th,  General  Rosser  attacked  the  Federals.  They 
had  a  strong  position  and  for  awliile  stubbornly  resisted 
Rosser's  attack,  but  were  finally  driven  back  and  completely 
routed,  leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  on  the  field  and 
their  camp  in  the  possession  of  the  Confederates.  In  the 


JOHN  ASHTON.  233 

meantime  General  Lee,  on  the  left,  and  General  Bearing  on 
the  right,  had  successfully  attacked  and  routed  the  Federals 
at  the  points  to  which  they  had  gone,  thereby  insuring  the 
easy  capture  and  safe  withdrawal  of  the  cattle,  which 
numbered  two  thousand  four  hundred  and  eighty-six. 

The  object  of  the  expedition  having  been  accomplished, 
General  Hampton  retired  before  8  o'clock  a.  m.,  sent  the 
cattle  across  the  Nottaw^ay  at  Freeman's  Bridge  and,  after 
defeating  the  division  of  General  Henry  E.  Davies,  Jr.,  in  a 
fight  on  the  Jerusalem  plank-road,  recrossed  Rowanty 
creek  at  Wilkinson's  Bridge,  and  on  the  following  day 
arrived  within  the  Confederate  lines.  The  Confederates 
brought  in,  as  the  fruits  of  the  expedition,  two  thousand 
four  hundred  and  sixty-eight  of  the  captured  cattle,  eleven 
wagons,  some  valuable  stores,  including  a  large  number  of 
blankets,  three  guidons,  and  three  hundred  and  four  pris- 
oners, two  hundred  and  twelve  of  whom  belonged  to  the 
First  District  of  Columbia  cavalry,  there  being  among  the 
latter  two  majors,  one  captain,  and  six  lieutenants.  The 
capture  of  the  cattle  was  a  windfall  for  the  Confederate 
troops  who  were,  as  usual,  on  short  rations  and  in  a  half- 
starved  condition. 

Returning  to  their  former  camp,  Ashton  and  his  comrades 
enjoyed  a  short  respite  from  the  hardships  and  dangers  of 
the  battle-field ;  but  on  September  29th,  they  were  unex- 
pectedly called  upon  to  meet  an  advance  of  the  Federals 
near  Hatcher's  Run,  to  which  point  General  M,  C.  Butler's 
pickets  had  been  driven  back  that  morning.  In  the  fight 
that  ensued  the  Federals  were  driven  back  with  the  loss  of 
a  number  of  prisonei's,  and  the  Confederate  picket-line  was 
re-established.  On  the  following  morning  General  Hampton 
learned  that  General  Bearing's  brigade  had  been  driven 
from  their  works  and  that  the  Federals  were  then  in  pos- 
session of  them.  He  at  once  held  a  consultation  with  Gen- 
eral Hetii  and  they  decided  to  attack  the  Federals,  it  being 
arranged  that  General  Heth  should  assault  them  in  front 
and  General  Hampton  should  strike  them  on  their  left 
flank.  F'or  the  purpose  of  executing  this  plan.  General  Hamp- 
ton moved  Chambliss'  and  Barringer's  brigades  down  the 
Vaughn  road  to  the  left  of  the  Federals   and  occupied  some 


234  JOHN  ASHTON. 

works  that  were  found  there.  In  the  meantime  General 
Heth's  division  of  infantry  had  begun  their  attack,  and  as 
the  Federals  moved  up  to  reinforce  their  front  line  their 
riank  was  exposed  to  General  Hampton.  He  at  once 
ordered  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee  to  attack  them,  and  the  lat- 
ter, leading  his  men  in  person,  made  the  attack  with  the  9th 
and  10th  Virginia  regiments,  dismounted,  who  moved 
steadily  and  gallantly  forward  in  line  of  battle,  reserving 
their  fire  until  very  near  the  Federals.  They  then  coolly 
delivered  a  well-directed  volley,  dashed  forward  in  an  im- 
petuous charge,  completely  routed  the  Federals  and  cap- 
tured about  nine  hundred  prisoners  and  ten  standards. 
General  Heth's  troops  were  also  successful  in  their  attack 
and  the  entire  Federal  force,  consisting  of  the  5th  and  9th 
corps  and  Gregg's  division  of  cavalry,  was  driven  back  with 
a  loss  of  over  two  thousand  and  five  hundred  men  killed, 
wounded,  and  captured.  In  his  report  of  the  charge  made 
by  his  men,  General  Hampton  said  :  "The  whole  affair  was 
one  of  the  handsomest  I  have  seen,  and  it  reflects  the  highest 
credit  on  the  troops  engaged  in  it."  The  Federal  troops 
whom  these  two  cavalry  regiments  had  attacked  and 
routed  were  infantry  who  greatly  outnumbered  them,  and 
Ashton  and  his  brave  comrades  were  naturally  and  justly 
proud  of  their  brilliant  victory. 

Shortly  after  the  termination  of  this  engagement  Butler's 
brigade  was  attacked  on  the  Vaughn  road,  and  General 
Hampton  at  once  took  the  9th  and  13th  Virginia  regiments 
and  went  to  the  assistance  of  that  brigade.  Moving  by  a 
short  route  across  the  country,  General  Hampton  reached 
the  Squirrel  Level  road,  gained  the  rear  of  the  Federals,  and 
his  two  regiments  bore  down  upon  them  in  a  rapid  and  suc- 
cessful charge.  This  movement  relieved  General  Butler's 
troops,  and  the  Federals  fell  back  to  a  strong  position  on 
the  Vaughn  road. 

In  the  charge  made  upon  the  rear  of  the  Federals,  Ashton 
narrowly  escaped  death;  for  his  horse,  having  been  mor- 
tally wounded,  fell  to  the  ground  with  him  and  for  a  few 
moments  he  was  in  great  danger  of  being  crushed  beneath 
the  hoofs  of  the  numerous  horses  behind  him,  as  some  of 
them  dashed  over  him  at  full   speed.     Having  regained   his 


JOHN  ASIITON.  235 

feet,  Asliton  gazed  tenderly  and  sorrowfully  at  his  dying 
animal  and  was  moved  almost  to  tears  as  he  thought  of  the 
numerous  hardships  and  dangers  that  they  had  shared 
together,  and  realized  that  the  service  and  companionship 
of  his  faithful  friend  had  ended ;  for  the  stricken  animal 
was  the  horse  that  Mosby  gave  him  and  had  borne  him 
safely  through  many  conflicts  during  the  past  two  years. 

Fora  few  days  after  his  horse  was  killed,  Ashton  thought 
that  he  would  be  forced  to  join  the  ranks  of  the  dis- 
mounted cavalry,  as  Confederate  cavalrymen  had  to  mount 
themselves,  and  at  that  time  horses  were  exceedingly  scarce 
and  difficult  to  obtain.  However,  after  repeated  efforts  he 
succeeded  in  procuring,  at  a  fabulous  price,  another  horse, 
and  was  thus  enabled  to  remain  with  his  regiment  and  par- 
ticipate in  the  future  operations  of  the  cavalry.  Shortly 
afterward  he  was  again  in  the  saddle,  and  distinguished 
himself  in  an  engagement  which  Generals  Hampton  and 
Heth  had  with  the  Federals  on  the  Boydton  plank-road  and 
at  Hatcher's  Run  on  October  27th,  in  which  the  latter  were 
defeated  and  driven  back  with  a  loss  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty-six  killed,  one  thousand  and  twenty-eight  wounded, 
and  five  hundred  and  sixty-four  captured,  the  Confederate 
loss  being  comparatively  small.  The  Federal  force  consisted 
of  the  2d,  5th,  and  9th  corps,  under  General  W.  S.  Han- 
cock, G.  K.  Warren,  and  John  G.  Parke,  respectively,  and 
General  D.  McM.  Gregg's  division  of  cavalry,  while  the 
Confederate  force  consisted  of  one  brigade  of  Heth's  divis- 
ion and  three  brigades  of  Mahone's  division,  under  General 
William  Mahone,  and  five  brigades  of  cavalry,  under  Gen- 
eral Hampton;  and  in  view  of  the  comparatively  small 
force  of  the  Confederates,  their  victory  was  all  the  more 
brilliant  and  remarkable. 

The  movement  which  the  Confederates  had  checked  was 
intended  to  be  one  of  great  magnitude  that  should  result  in 
signal  success  to  the  Federal  arms,  and  General  Meade  was 
near  at  hand  to  watch  and  directits  progress.  General  Grant 
also  being  present  during  a  part  of  the  day.  The  immediate 
object  of  the  movement,  as  shown  by  General  Meade's 
orders  issued  October  25th,  was  to  attack  with  the  9th 
corps,  supported  by  the  5th,  the  right  of  the  Confederate  in- 


236  JORN  ASHTON. 

fantry  between  Hatcher's  Run  and  their  new  works,  which 
were  supposed  to  be  incomplete,  and  by  a  secret  and  sudden 
assault  surprise  the  Confederates  and  carry  these  works, 
while  the  2d  corps,  aided  by  Gregg's  division  of  cavalry, 
was,  by  a  concealed  march,  to  move  beyond  the  Confed- 
erate right,  press  onto  the  South  Side  railroad  and  endeavor 
to  seize  a  commanding  position  on  that  road.  If  the 
movement  had  been  successful,  General  Lee's  right  flank 
would  have  been  turned,  and  General  Meade  wouid  have 
been  in  his  rear  with  fifty-two  thousand  men  to  be  encoun- 
tered outside  of  intrenchments  by  the  comparatively  small 
force  holding  the  Confederate  lines  from  Hatcher's  Run  to 
Petersburg.  The  consequences  would  necessarily  have  been 
disastrous  to  the  Confederates,  especially  as  General  Leecould 
have  seat  no  reinforcements  from  the  left  of  his  lines,  as  Gen- 
eral B.F.Butler,  with  the  10th  and  18th  corps,  and  a  division 
of  cavalry  under  Colonel  Robert  M.  West,  aggregating  twen- 
ty-eight thousand  men,  had  made  a  similar  and  simultaneous 
attack  on  the  Confederate  lines  north  of  the  James  on  the 
Darbytown  and  Williamsburg  roads  for  the  purpose  of 
turning  the  left  flank  of  General  Lee's  army.  General  Long- 
street  repulsed  this  attack  with  General  C.  W.  Field's 
division  and  General  Martin  W.  Gary's  brigade  of  cavalry, 
and  the  Federals  were  defeated  with  a  loss  of  one  thousand 
six  hundred  and  three  killed,  wounded,  and  captured,  and 
eleven  standards,  the  Confederate  loss  being  very  hght. 
General  Field  having  lost  only  sixty-four  men,  killed, 
wounded,  and  captured. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  both  flanks  of  the  Confederate 
armj'  were  simultaneously  attacked  by  the  bulk  of  General 
Grant's  army,  it  is  evident  that  he  hoped  by  this  sudden 
movement  to  capture  both  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  and 
this  view  is  strengthened  by  a  statement,  in  a  dispatch  sent 
that  day  to  Honorable  Edwin  M.  Stanton,  virtually 
acknowledging  the  defeat  of  the  movement,  where  he  says: 
"This  reconnoissance,  which  I  had  intended  for  more,  points 
out  to  me  what  is  to  be  done.'  "  Hence,  the  complete  defeat 
of  the  movement  by  Generals  Hampton,  Heth,and  Long- 
street  not  only  reflected  great  credit  on  them  and  the  gal- 
lant men   by   whom  it  was   effected,  but    also   prevented 


JOHN  ASH  TON.  237 

incalculable  injury  to  the  Confederate  cause.  General  Lee, 
had,  several  weeks  before,  contemplated  the  probability  of 
such  a  movement,  and  naturally  feared  its  consequences,  as 
is  shown  by  a  communication  to  Honorable  James  A.  Sed- 
don,  Secretary  of  War,  October  4th,  1864,  asking  for  rein- 
forcements, in  which  he  says:  "The  enemy's  numerical 
superiority  enables  him  to  hold  his  lines  with  an  adequate 
force  and  extend  on  each  flank  with  numbers  so  much 
greater  than  ours  that  we  can  only  meet  his  corps,  increased 
by  recent  recruits,  with  a  division  reduced  by  long  and 
arduous  service.  We  cannot  fight  to  advantage  with  such 
odds,  and  there  is  the  greatest  reason  to  apprehend  the 
result  of  every  encounter." 

The  Confederate  cavalry  under  General  Hampton  were 
naturally  elated  at  the  success  which  they  had  achieved  over 
Gregg's  cavalry  and  Hancock's  and  Warren's  infantry  in 
the  fight  on  and  near  the  Boydton  plank-road,  but  to  their 
peerless  leader  the  glory  of  victory  was  darkened  by  the 
gloom  of  grief;  for  his  brave  and  noble  son.  Lieutenant 
Thomas  Preston  Hampton,  aid-de-camp,  while  gallantly 
leading  a  charge  against  the  Federals,  was  mortally  wounded , 
and  Lieutenant  Wade  Hampton  received  a  severe  wound. 

After  this  fight  General  Hampton's  command  was  not 
actively  engaged  with  the  Federals  for  more  than  a  month, 
and  during  that  time  Ashton  enjoyed  a  period  of  compara- 
tiverest,  occasionally  doing  picket  duty  on  the  Rowanty.  But 
on  December  7th  General  Hampton  marched  with  the  com- 
mand to  meet  a  movement  of  General  G.  K.  Warren's  on 
Hicksford  with  twenty -two  thousand  infantry,  four  thou- 
sand cavalry,  and  six  batteries  of  artillery,  the  object  of 
which  was  the  destruction  of  apart  of  the  Weldon  railroad. 
The  numbers  of  the  Federals  were  so  great  that  General 
Hampton  could  not  afford  to  attack  the  entire  force  with 
his  two  divisions  of  cavalry,  but  he  successfully  defended 
Hicksford,  saved  the  bridge  over  the  Meherrin,  at  that 
place,  interrupted  their  destruction  of  the  railroad,  defeated 
their  cavalry  in  several  skirmishes,  and  harassed  them  on 
their  retreat,  capturing  over  two  hundred  and  fift^' 
prisoners.  On  their  retreat  the  Federals  were  guilty  of  the 
vilest  vandalism,  for,  as  shown  by  General  Warren's  report, 


238  JOHN  ASHTON. 

"almost  every  house  was  set  on  fire  along  the  route,"  and 
these  houses  were  occupied  onlj  by  helpless  women  and 
children. 

This  movement  closed  the  active  operation  of  General 
Hampton's  command  for  1864-.  In  January  1865,  he  was 
sent  with  General  M.  C.  Butler's  division  to  join  the  Con- 
federate forces  in  South  Carolina  and,  at  the  same  time, 
General  W.  H.  F.  Lee  was  placed  in  command  of  the  re- 
mainder of  the  cavalry  corps  operating  on  the  right  of  General 
Lee's  army.  During  that  month  the  division  to  which  Ash- 
ton  belonged  had  no  serious  engagements,  and  was  moved 
down  to  Belfield  in  order  that  forage  for  the  horses  might 
be  more  easily  obtained;  but  on  February  5th,  it  was  sud- 
denly recalled  to  aid  in  checking  an  advance  of  the  Federals 
on  the  Confederate  right.  On  that  day  the  Federals  moved 
in  heavy  force  to  Hatcher's  Run,  forced  a  crossing  at  the 
Vaughn  road,  and  advanced  in  the  direction  of  Dinwiddie 
Court-house.  The  movement  was  promptly  met  by  the 
Confederates,  and  during  that  afternoon  and  the  next  two 
days  there  was  severe  fighting  at  Armstrong's  and  Dabney's 
Mills  and  other  points,  resulting  in  comparatively  heavy 
losses  to  the  Federals.  Their  force  consisted  of  the  2d  and 
5th  corps,  parts  of  the  6th  and  9th  corps  and  Gregg's  divis- 
ion of  cavalry,  but,  although  opposed  by  only  Pegram's, 
Gordon's,  and  Mahone's  divisions,  and  W.  H.  F.  Lee's 
division  of  cavalry,  was  unable  to  break  through  General 
Lee's  main  line  at  any  point,  merely  capturing  a  part  of  his 
rifle-pits  on  the  picket-line,  and  was  finally  driven  back. 

By  marching  nearly  all  of  the  night  of  February  5th,  Lee's 
division  reached  the  Confederate  right  in  time  to  meet  and 
drive  back  Gregg's  division  on  the  Boyd  ton  plank-road, 
and  Ashton  and  his  comrades  thus  found  themselves  again 
fighting  the  Federals  over  ground  made  memorable  by  for- 
mer conflicts. 

Although  the  Federals  had  accomplished  nothing  except 
the  extension  of  their  lines  a  short  distance  beyond  Hatch- 
er's Run,  their  movement  had  been  the  means  of  subjecting 
the  Confederates  to  the  greatest  hardships  ;  for  the  weather 
was  exceedingly  inclement  and  intensely  cold,  and  in  con- 
sequence of  exposure  to  it  during  this  movement,   in   their 


JOHN  ASHTON.  239 

half-clad  and  half-starved  condition,  the  Confederate 
troops  experienced  indescribable  suft'ering.  On  February  8th, 
in  a  comraunication  to  Honorable  James  A.  Seddon,  Secre- 
tary of  War,  General  Lee  wrote  in  regard  to  the  suffering 
of  the  troops,  as  follows:  "Yesterday,  the  most  inclement 
day  of  the  winter,  they  had  to  be  kept  in  line  of  battle,  having 
been  in  the  same  condition  the  two  previous  days  and 
nights.  I  regret  to  have  to  state  that  under  these  circum- 
stances, heightened  by  assaults  and  fire  of  the  enemy,  some 
of  the  men  had  been  without  meat  for  three  days,  and  all 
were  suffering  from  reduced  rations  and  scant  clothing, 
exposed  to  battle,  cold,  hail,  and  sleet.  I  have  directed  Col- 
onel Cole,  chief  commissary,  who  reports  that  he  has  not  a 
pound  of  meat  at  his  disposal,  to  visit  Richmond  and  see  if 
nothing  can  be  done.  If  some  change  is  not  made  and  the 
commissary  department  reorganized,  I  apprehend  dire  re- 
sults. The  physical  strength  of  the  men,  if  their  courage 
survives,  must  fail  under  this  treatment.  Our  cavalry  has 
to  be  dispersed  forw^antof  forage.  Fitz  Lee's  and  Lomax's 
divisions  are  scattered  l^ecause  supplies  cannot  be  trans- 
ported where  their  services  are  required.  I  had  to  bring 
William  H.  F.  Lee's  division  forty  miles  Sunday  night  to 
get  him  in  position.  Taking  these  facts  in  connection  with 
the  paucity  of  our  numbers,  you  must  not  be  surprised  if 
calamity  befalls  us." 

This  communication  was  sent  to  President  Davis  for 
perusal,  and  on  it  he  wrote  the  following  indorsement: 

"This  is  too  sad  to  be  patientl3'  considered  and  cannot 
have  occurred  without  criminal  neglect  or  gross  incapacity. 
Let  supplies  be  had  by  purchase,  or  borrowing,  or  other 
possible  mode." 

The  foregoing  extract  from  General  Lee's  communication 
to  the  secretary  of  war  will  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the 
wretched  condition  of  the  troops  defending  Richmond  and 
Petersburg,  and  the  intense  suffering  that  they  were  daily 
enduring  in  behalf  of  the  cause  which  they  had  espoused. 
Instead  of  improving,  the  condition  of  the  beleaguered 
army  constantly  grew  worse,  and  its  numbers  were  daily 
decreased  by  sickness  and  death  resulting  from  lack  of  food 
and  clothing,   and  exposure    to  the  inclement  weather,  and 


240  JOHN  ASIITON. 

also  by  frequent  desertions  caused  by  the  severe  hardships 
to  which  the  troops  were  subjected  and,  in  many  instances, 
the  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  their  loved  ones  at  home 
were  suffering  for  lack  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  In  the 
meantime  the  besieging  army  had  been  reinforced  by  the 
arrival  of  General  P.  H.  Sheridan,  from  the  Shenandoah 
Valley,  with  nine  thousand  cavalry,  and  also  the  addition 
of  large  numbers  of  recruits;  and  hence,  toward  the  end  of 
March  it  was  evident  that  General  Lee  could  not  hold  Rich- 
mond and  Petersburg  much  longer,  especially  if  General 
Grant  should  move  his  armies  to  the  left  and  turn  the  Con- 
federate right  beyond  Hatcher's  Run.  General  Grant  decided 
to  make  such  a  movement,  which  was  to  begin  on  March 
29th,  as  shown  by  the  following  extract  from  instructions 
issued  to  Generals  Meade,  Ord,  and  Sheridan,  March  25th, 
to  wit:  "On  the  29th  instant  the  armies  operating  against 
Richmond  will  be  moved  by  our  left,  for  the  double  purpose 
of  turning  the  enemy  out  of  his  present  position  around 
Petersburg  and  to  insure  the  success  of  the  cavalry  under 
General  Sheridan,  which  will  start  at  the  same  time  in  its 
efforts  to  reach  and  destroy  the  South  Side  and  Danville 
railroad." 

The  movement  began  on  the  morning  of  March  29th,  and 
by  night  General  Sheridan's  cavalry  was  at  Din  widdie  Court- 
house and  the  left  of  the  Federal  infantry  line  extended  to 
the  Quaker  road  near  its  intersection  with  the  Bo^^dton 
plank-road. 

On  the  next  day  General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  by  order  of  Gen- 
eral R.  E.  Lee,  marched  with  his  division  of  cavalry  from 
Sutherland  Station  toward  Dinwiddle  Court-house,  via 
Five  Forks,  to  meet  this  threatened  movement  of  Sheridan's 
cavalry. 

General  Sheridan  was  to  be  supported  in  his  operations 
by  the  5th  and  2d  corps,  under  command  of  Generals  G.  K, 
Warren  and  A.  A.  Humphreys,  respectively,  aggregating 
thirty-eight  thousand  two  hundred  and  twenty  effective 
men ;  and  his  own  force,  under  the  immediate  command  of 
General  Wesley  Merritt,  consisted  of  the  1st,  2d,  and  3d 
divisions  of  cavalry  respectively  commanded  by  Generals 
Thomas  C.  Devin,  George  Crook,  and  G.  A.  Custer,  and 
numbered  nine  thousand  effective  men. 


JOHN  ASHTON.  241 

In  the  afternoon  of  March  30th,  General  FitzhughLee  en- 
countered the  advance  of  General  Sheridan's  cavalry  beyond 
Five  Forks  and  drove  them  back  on  the  main  force  at 
Dinwiddle  Court-house.  During  the  evening  he  was  joined 
by  the  divisions  of  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee  and  Thomas  L. 
Rosser,  and,  by  order  of  General  R.  E.  Lee,  took  command 
of  the  cavalry  corps,  consisting  of  his  own  division,  com- 
manded by  General  Thomas  T.  Munford  and  the  two  other 
divisions  just  mentioned.  On  the  following  day  General 
George  E.  Pickett  arrived  with  five  small  brigades  of  infan- 
try, to  wit:  Stewart's,  Corse's,  and  Terry's  of  his  own 
division  and  "Wallace's  and  Ransom's  of  General  Bushrod 
Johnson's  division,  and  General  Sheridan's  large  force  of 
cavalry  (which  had  begun  to  advance)  was  attacked  by 
the  Confederates  beyond  Five  Porks.  A  severe  engagement 
ensued  in  which  the  Federals  were  finally  driven  back  with 
heavy  loss  to  within  half  a  mile  of  Dinwiddie  Court-house. 
The  fighting  was  fiercest  at  two  crossings  on  Chamberlain's 
Creek,  where  the  Confederates  effected  a  passage  of  the 
stream  in  the  face  of  heavy  forces  strongly  posted  on  the 
opposite  side.  When  the  Confederates  had  forced  a  pas- 
sage of  the  stream  and  could  fight  the  Federals  on  equal 
ground,  the  latter  were  rapidlv  driven  back  until  darkness 
closed  the  conflict.  In  their  reports  of  the  engagement, 
Generals  Sheridan,  Alerritt,  Devin,  Cook,  and  Custer  en- 
deavored to  excuse  their  complete  and  disastrous  defeat 
by  claiming  that  they  were  "forced  to  fall  back  before  over- 
whelming numbers,"  and  General  Merritt  represented  that 
the  Confederate  force  "consisted  of  Pickett's  and  Johnson's 
divisions  of  infantry,  since  ascertained  to  have  been  over 
fourteen  thousand  strong,  and  all  the  enemy's  cavalry-." 

The  unreasonableness  of  this  claim  and  the  incorrectness 
of  General  Merritt's  statement  as  to  the  number  of  the 
Confederate  infantry  engaged  in  the  fight  are  apparent  to 
any  one  who  is  at  all  inform2d  as  to  the  greatly  reduced 
ranks  of  General  Lee's  army  at  that  time.  More  than  a 
month  before,  to  wit:  February  28th,  1865, as  shown  by 
the  monthly  returns  of  the  army,  the  effective  force  of 
Pickett's  entire  division  was  six  thousand  one  hundred  and 
fifty-seven  and  that  of  Johnson's  division  was  six  thousand 


242  JOHN  ASHTON. 

two  hundred  and  seventy-seven,  making  an  aggregate  of 
twelve  thousand  four  hundred  and  twenty-eight,  and  in  the 
meantime  this  number  had  been  greatly  reduced  by  losses  in 
battle,  sickness,  and  death,  resulting  from  lack  of  food  and 
clothing  and  constant  exposure  to  the  inclement  weather, 
and  also  by  numerous  and  almost  daily  desertions.  More- 
over, as  already  stated.  General  Pickett  had  with  him  only 
three  of  his  brigades  and  two  of  Johnson's,  all  of  which 
were  quite  small.  His  entire  force  was  less  than  four  thou- 
sand men.  The  Confederate  cavalry  consisted  of  seven 
small  brigades  containing  twenty-six  regiments  and  num- 
bered something  over  three  thousand  men,  and  hence  the 
entire  Confederate  force  was  about  seven  thousand.  Gen- 
eral Sheridan's  force  consisted  of  nine  large  brigades  con- 
taining thirty-nine  regiments,  and  according  to  his  official 
report,  was  nine  thousand  strong.  Therefore,  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  Federals  were  not  "forced  to  fall  back  before 
overwhelming  numbers,"  but  were 'fairly  whipped  in  open 
fight,  and  driven  back  by  inferior  numbers.  This,  by  the 
way,  was  not  an  uncommon  experience  with  them,  as  the 
Confederates  had  often  defeated  forces  much  larger  than 
their  own.  Indeed,  the  5th  corps  had  that  day  had  a  similar 
experience  just  before  Sheridan  was  driven  back  by  inferior 
numbers;  for  General  Bushrod  Johnson  with  Aiood^^'s  and 
Wise's  brigades  of  his  own  division,  Hunton's  brigade  of 
Pickett's  division,  and  McGowan's  brigade  of  Wilcox's 
division,  attacked  and  drove  back  that  corps  on  the  Wliite 
Oak  road  with  a  loss  of  one  thousand  four  hundred  and 
seven  killed,  wounded,  and  captured,  the  Confederate  loss 
being  about  eight  hundred  killed,  wounded,  and  captured. 
In  the  fight  beyond  Five  Forks  the  losses  of  the  Confed- 
erate cavalry  were  comparatively  light,  the  heaviest  loss 
being  in  the  command  to  which  Ashton  belonged  (W.  H.  F. 
Lee's  division),  and  having  occurred  while  it  was  forcing  a 
passage  of  Chamberlain's  Creek.  Ashton  had  frequently 
been  under  heavy  fire,  but  at  this  point  for  a  short  time,  he 
felt  that  he  and  his  comrades  were  being  subjected  to  the 
heaviest  and  hottest  fire  that  they  had  ever  been  called  upon  to 
face;  for  the  Federals  occupied  a  strong  and  advantageous 
position  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream  and  stubbornly 


JOHN  ASarON.  243 

defended  it  until  tlie  Confederates  dashed  forward  with  the 
utmost  gallantry  and  dislodged  them.  This  being  done,  the 
Federals  were  steadily  driven  back  toward  Dinwiddle 
Court-House,  as  already  stated. 

At  daylight  the  next  morning  Generals  Fitzhugh  Lee  and 
Pickett  retired  to  their  former  position  at  Five  Forks  and 
so  disposed  their  troops  as  to  form  connection  by  a  thin 
line  (Robert's  brigade  of  two  regiments)  on  their  left  with 
the  right  of  General  Lee's  army  at  Burgess'  Mill.  About  3 
o'clock  that  afternoon  General  Sheridan,  having  been  rein- 
forced by  Mackenzie's  cavalry  brigade  of  one  thousand 
effective  men  and  the  5th  corps,  under  General  Warren,  at- 
tacked Generals  Pickett  and  Fitzhugh  Lee  by  a  flank  move- 
ment on  their  left,  drove  Roberts'  brigade  back  across 
Hatcher's  Run,  turned  General  Pickett's  leftflank,  and  drove 
him  back  several  miles  with  heavy  loss,  separating  him 
from  General  Fitzhugh  Lee.  The  Confederates  made  a  gal- 
lant defense,  but  it  was  impossible  for  their  force  of  seven 
thousand  men  to  withstand  the  combined  attack  of  the 
overwhelming  force  of  infantry  and  cavalry  assailing 
them,  which  consisted  of  more  than  twenty-six  thousand 
men  and,  by  reason  of  greatly  superior  numbers,  had  been 
enabled  to  flank  them.  General  Fitzhugh  Lee  remained  in 
position  near  Five  Forks  that  night  and  was  joined  by 
General  R.  H.  Anderson,  with  Wise's  and  Grade's  brigades, 
which  had  been  brought  up  from  Burgess'  Mills  to  reinforce 
the  Confederates  at  Five  Forks,  but  did  not  arrive  in  time  to 
participate  in  the  fight,  as  they  had  come  by  a  long  and  cir- 
cuitous route. 

On  April  3d  Generals  Anderson  and  Fitzhugh  Lee  learned 
that  the  Confederate  army  was  withdrawing  from  the 
vicinity  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  and  began  to  retire 
toward  Amelia  Court-house,  the  cavalry  acting  as  rear 
guard  on  the  route.  General  Fitzhugh  Lee  had  several  fights 
with  the  advance  guard  of  the  Federals  in  his  route  to 
Amelia  Court  house,  which  was  reached  on  April  5th. 
Here  he  found  the  main  body  of  the  army  under  General  R, 
E.  Lee,  and  from  that  point  to  Appomattox  Court-house 
the  cavalry  under  his  command  protected  the  rear  and 
marching  flanks  of  the  retreating  army,  fighting  every  day 


244  JOHN  ASHTON. 

with  uiidimitiished  ardor  and  gallantry,  notwithstanding 
the  apparent  hopelessness  of  ultimate  success  in  the  un- 
equal struggle  between  the  weary,  half-starved  and  half- 
arnied  remnant  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  and  the 
myriad  of  vigorous,  well  fed  and  excellently  equipped  troops 
that  were  rapidly  enveloping  it.  These  gallant  troopers, 
whose  chivalrous  achievements  in  brighter  days,  under  the 
leadership  of  Stuart  and  Hampton,  had  immortalized  the 
cavalry  corps  of  the  Virginia  army,  now  in  these  dark 
days  of  adversity,  under  their  new  and  valiant  leader,  dis- 
played their  wonted  valor,  and  successfully  defeated  the 
Federal  forces  with  whom  they  came  in  conflict  at  Paineville, 
High  Bridge,  Farmville,  and  beyond  the  latter  place  on 
their  route  to  Appomattox  Court-house.  In  the  final  con- 
flict at  that  place  on  April  9th,  assisted  by  about  one  thou- 
sand six  hundred  infantry  under  General  John  B.  Gordon, 
they  drove  back  Sheridan's  cavalry  corps  until  checked  by 
the  5th,  24th,  and  part  of  the  25th  corps  of  infantry,  num- 
bering over  twenty  thousand,  under  General  E.  O.  C.  Ord, 
who  had  just  arrived  on  the  field,  and  in  his  report  of  the 
engagement  says :  "Our  cavalry  were» falling  back  in  con- 
fusion," and  adds:     "We  were  barely  in  time." 

In  order  that  the  reader  may  understand  the  circum- 
stances under  which  this  conflict  occurred,  we  will  briefly 
narrate  the  exjberience  of  the  main  body  of  the  Confeder- 
ate army  the  preceding  week. 


JOHN  A  SET  ON.  245 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


When  General  Lee  began  his  retreat  on  the  night  of  April 
2nd,  he  hoped  to  effect  a  junction  with  General  Joseph  E. 
Johnston's  army,  and  might  have  done  so   if,   as   he   had 
directed,  supplies  for  his  army  had  been  deposited  at  Amelia 
Court-house  to  await  his  arrival  there.     But  this   was   not 
done;  hence,    when  General    Lee  arrived  at   Amelia  Court- 
house on  the  morning  of  April  4th,    he  found  nothing  there 
on  which  to  feed  his  army,  which  had    been  without    food 
for  nearly  two  days.     It  rec[uired  nearly  twenty-four  hours 
in  which  to  procure  food  for  the  army,  and  the  time  thus  lost 
enabled  Generals  Sheridan  and  Ord  to   get  between  General 
Lee  and  Danville,  thereby    cutting  off   that  line  of  retreat, 
and  effectually  preventing  a    junction  with    General  John- 
ston's army.     The  only  route  now  open  for   General  Lee's 
retreat  was  by  way  of  Farmville,  where  he  ordered  supplies 
from  Lynchburg,  and  he  started  for  that  place  on  the  night 
of  April  5th.    The  scenes   and  incidents   of  the   next  three 
days  presented  a  pathetic  yet   thrilling  picture   of  sublime 
fortitude  and  heroism  that  beggars  description.     Marching 
by  night  and  fighting  by  day,  pressed  from  behind  by  over- 
whelming   numbers   of    infantry   and   artillery,   and    har- 
assed   on    the    flank    by     the  Federal   cavalry,   the   small 
remnant  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  underits  match- 
less commander  passed  through    an  experience   of  unparal- 
leled hardships  and  suffering  without  murmuring  at  its  fate, 
or  flinching  from  the   full   discharge   of  duty.     The   men 
were  so  completely  exhausted  bj^  loss  of  sleep,  fatigue,  and 
hunger    that    they    could    scarcely    stand   up    in     ranks; 
and  yet  in  this  desperate  condition  the  remnant  of  General 
Ewell's  command,  consisting  of  Kershaw's  and  G.  W.  C.  Lee's 
divisions;  and  Tucker's  naval  brigade,  and  aggregating  less 
than  four  thousand  men,  on  April  6th  at  Sailor's  Creek,  met 
and  for  a  time  repulsed  more  than  five  times  their   number, 
and  not   until  they  were   hemmed   in  on  all  sides  and  over- 
whelmed   by   numbers  did  they  finally  surrender.     With  the 
remainder  of  his  army,  reduced  to  two  corps,  under   Long- 
street   and  Gordon,  General  Lee   reached  Farmville    on  the 


246  JOHN  ASHTON. 

morning  of  April  7th,  having  marched  all  of  the  preceding 
night.  He  continued  his  retreat  toward  Lynchburg  that 
day,  and  about  five  miles  from  Farmville  was  attacked  by 
the  2nd  corps  under  General  A.  A.  Humphreys,  and  quickly 
repulsed  the  Federals  with  considerable  loss. 

During  the  night  of  April  7th  and  the  following  day, 
General  Lee  continued  his  retreat,  and  about  dark  that 
evening  the  head  of  his  army  arrived  at  Appomattox 
Court-house.  There  had  been  no  fighting  of  any  conse- 
quence that  day,  and  as  Lynchburg  was  only  twenty-four 
miles  distant,  the  Confederate  soldiers  had  some  hope  of 
reaching  that  place  in  safety.  This  hope,  however,  was  of 
short  duration,  for  suddenh^  they  heard  heavy  firing  in 
front  of  them  and  it  was  soon  ascertained  that  Sheridan's 
cavalry  by  rapid  riding  had  got  ahead  of  them  and  cut 
off  their  line  of  retreat.  On  the  preceding  day  General 
Grant,  then  at  Farmville,  believing  that  General  Lee  could 
not  possibly  extricate  the  remnant  of  his  army  from  the 
overwhelming  force  that  was  forming  a  complete  cordon 
around  it,  wrote  the  latter  as  follows: 

"April  7th,  1865. 
"General  R.  E.  Lee, 

"General: — The  result  of  the  last  week  tnust  convince  you 
of  the  hopelessness  of  further  resistance  on  the  part  of  the 
Army  of  Northern  "Virginia  in  this  struggle.  I  feel  that  it  is 
so,  and  regard  it  as  my  duty  to  shift  from  m\'self  the  re- 
sponsibility of  any  further  effusion  of  blood  by  asking  of 
you  the  surrender  of  that  portion  of  the  Confederate  States 
army  known  as  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

"U.  S.  Grant, 
Lieuten  a  n  t-general . ' ' 

To  this  General  Lee  gave  the  following  answer: 

"April  7th,  1865. 
"Lieutenant-General  U.  S.  Grant, 

"General: — I  havereceived  your  note  of  this  date.  Though 
not  entertaining  the  opinion  j'ou  express  on  the  hopeless- 
ness of  further  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia,  I  reciprocate  your  desire  to  avoid 
useless  effusion  of  blood,  and,  therefore,  before  considering 


JOHN  ASIITON.  247 

your  proposition,  ask   the   terms   you    will   offer   on    con- 
dition of  its  surrender. 

"R.  E.  Lee, 
General." 

General  Grant  received  this  note  early  on  the  morning  of 
the  next  day,  before  leaving  Farmville,  and  immediately 
replied  as  follows : 

"April  8th,  1865. 
"General  R.  E.  Lee, 

"General: — Your  note  of  last  evening  in  reply  to  mine  of 
same  date,  asking  the  conditions  on  which  I  will  accept 
the  surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  is  just  re- 
ceived. In  reply  I  would  say  that,  peace  being  my  great 
desire,  there  isbutonecondition  I  would  insist  upon,  namely, 
that  the  men  and  officers  surrendered  shall  be  disqualified 
from  taking  up  arms  again  against  the  government  of  the 
United  States  until  properly  exchanged.  I  will  meet  you, 
or  will  designate  officers  to  meetan3'  officers  j^ou  may  name 
for  the  same  purpose,  at  any  point  agreeable  to  j'ou,  for 
the  purpose  of  arranging  definitely  the  terms  upon  which 
the  surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  will  be 
received. 

"U.  S.  Grant, 
Lieutewant-general. ' ' 

In  the  note  to  which  this  was  a  reply,  General  Lee  did  not 
intend  to  convey  the  idea  that  he  was  ready  to  immediately 
surrender  his  army,  and,  as  before  stated, had  continued  his 
retreat  on  April  8th  and  reached  Appomattox  Court-house 
about  dark  that  evening.  About  midnight  General  Grant 
received  from  him  the  following  communication : 

"April  8th,  1865. 
"Lieutenant-General  U.  S.  Grant, 

"General:— I  received  at  a  late  hour  your  note  of  to-day. 
In  mine  of  yesterday  I  did  not  intend  to  propose  the  surren- 
der of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  but  to  ask  the  terras 
of  your  proposition.  To  be  frank,  I  do  not  think  the  emer- 
gency has  arisen  to  call  for  the  surrender  of  this  army,  but 
as  the  restoration  of  peace  should  be  the  sole  object  of  all. 
I  desire  to  know  whether  your  proposals  would  lead  to 
that  end.  I   cannot,   therefore,  meet  you   with    a  view  to 


248  JOHN  ASHTON. 

surrender  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  but  as  far  as  your 
proposal  may  affect  the  Confederate  States  forces  under 
my  command,  and  tend  to  the  restoration  of  peace,  I  should 
be  pleased  to  meet  you  at  10  a.  m.  to-morrow,  between  the 
picket-lines   of  the   two  armies. 

"R.  E.  Lee, 
General." 

That  night  Generals  Longstreet,  Gordon,  and  Fitzhugh 
Lee  met  General  R.  E.  Lee  at  his  headquarters,  and  the  lat- 
ter explained  to  them  the  condition  of  affairs  and  showed 
them  the  correspondence  that  had  passed  between  himself 
and  General  Grant.  A  conference  was  then  held,  and  it 
was  decided  that  General  Fitzhugh  Lee  with  the  Confeder- 
ate cavalry  should  at  daylight  attack  the  Federal  cavalry 
which  was  reported  as  obstructing  the  line  of  retreat;  Gen- 
eral Gordon  was  to  support  Lee  and,  if  only  cavalry  should 
be  discovered,  they  w^ere  to  clear  it  from  the  route  of  the 
Confederates  and  open  the  way  for  the  remainder  of  the 
army  ;  but  in  case  the  Federal  cavalry  should  be  supported 
by  a  heavy  force  of  infantr}^.  General  Lee  was  to  be  at  once 
notified  of  the  fact  in  order  that  a  flag  of  truce  might  be 
sent  to  arrange  for  a  surrender  of  the  army. 

Early  the  next  morning.  General  Grant  wrote  General  Lee 
as  follows : 

"April  9th,  1865. 
"General  R.  E.  Lee, 

"General: — Your  note  of  yesterday  is  received.  I  have  no 
authority  to  treat  on  the  subject  of  peace; the  meeting  pro- 
posed for  10  A.  M.  to-day  would  lead  to  no  good.  I  will 
state,  however,  General,  that  I  am  equally  anxious  for  peace 
with  yourself,  and  the  whole  North  entertains  the  same 
feeling.  The  terms  upon  which  peace  can  be  had  are  well 
understood.  By  the  South  laying  down  their  arms  they 
■will  hasten  that  most  desirable  event,  save  thousands  of 
human  lives,  and  hundreds  of  millions  of  property  not  yet 
destroyed.  Seriously  hoping  that  all  our  difficulties  may 
be    settled  without    the    loss  of  another  life,    I  subscribe 

myself,  etc. 

"U.  S.  Grant, 

Li  eu  ten  an  t-gen  eral . '  * 


JOHN  ASETON.  849 

In  tbe  meantime  and  at  daybreak  that  morning,  General 
Gordon,  with  the  remnant  of  his  corps,  consisting  of  about 
one  thousand  and  six  hundred  men,  formed  a  line  of  battle 
on  the  Lynchburg  road  about  half  a  mile  west  of  Appomat- 
tox Court-house.  The  cavalry  corps,  consisting  of  about 
two  thousand  four  hundred  horsemen  under  General 
Fitzhugh  Lee,  was  formed  on  General  Gordon's  right  in  the 
following  order:  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  division  next  to  the  in- 
fantry, Rosser's  division  in  the  center  and  Munford's 
division  on  the  extreme  right.  At  sunrise  this  compara- 
tively small  force  moved  forward  with  their  accustomed 
gallantry  and  vigorously  attacked  the  Federals  in  front  of 
them,  who  proved  to  be  a  large  force  of  dismounted  cav- 
alry. The  Federals  were  quickly  driven  back  in  great  con- 
fusion with  the  loss  of  two  pieces  of  artillery  and  a  number 
of  prisoners.  At  this  time  General  E.  O.  C.  Ord  arrived 
with  two  corps  and  part  of  a  third  of  Federal  infantry, 
numbering  over  twenty  thousand  men,  w^ho  were  immedi- 
ately thrown  into  the  fight,  and  the  Confederates  were 
compelled  to  retire  before  this  overwhelming  force.  Gen- 
eral Gordon  withdrew  across  the  Appomattox  river,  General 
W.  H.  F.  Lee  retired  in  the  same  direction  and  Generals 
Rosser  and  Munford  with  their  divisions  moved  out  toward 
Lynchburg,  having  cleared  that  route  of  the  Federals,  and 
thus  escaped  capttire. 

The  timely  arrival  of  the  army  of  the  James  under  Gen- 
eral Ord,  had  thus  prevented  General  Lee  from  opening  a 
line  of  retreat  toward  Lynchburg  in  accordance  with  the 
plan  that  had  been  adopted  the  preceding  night;  and  hence 
as  soon  as  General  Gordon  was  forced  to  retire  before  the 
Federal  infantry  he  notified  General  Lee  of  his  situation 
When  General  Lee  received  this  message  he  realized  that  he 
could  not  reach  Lynchburg,  that  further  resistance  would 
cause  a  useless  sacrifice  of  life  and  that  the  time  for  the  surren- 
der of  his  army  had  arrived.  He  at  once  dispatched  a  flag 
of  truce  to  General  Sheridan,  requesting  a  suspension  of  hos- 
tilities with  a  view  to  such  surrender,  and  at  the  same  time 
sent  General  Grant  the  following  note: 


250  JOHN  ASHTON. 

"April  9th,  1865. 
"Lieutenant-General  U.  S.  Grant, 

*  'General :— I  recei  ved  your  note  of  this  morning  on  the  picket- 
line,  whither  I  had  come  to  meet  you  and  ascertain  defi- 
nitely what  terms  were  embraced  in  your  proposal  of  yester- 
day with  reference  to  the  surrender  of  this  army.  I  now 
ask  an  interview  in  accordance  with  the  offer  contained  in 
your  letter   of  yesterday  for  that  purpose. 

"R.  E.  Lee, 
General." 

The  inter  view  between  the  commanders  of  the  two  armies 
occurred  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Wilmer  McLean,  in  Appomat- 
tox Court-house,  and  there  they  entered  into  an  agreement, 
by  the  terms  of  which  the  hitherto  invincible  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia  was  to  take  up  arms  no  more  against  the 
United  States  until  properly  exchanged.  When  it  became 
known  that  General  Lee  had  decided  to  surrender  the  army, 
the  emotions  of  the  soldiers  were  indescribable.  Their 
glorious  achievements  in  the  past,  the  constantly  recurring 
victories  that  had  crowned  their  arms  in  numerous  engage- 
ments with  greatly  superior  forces,  and  their  indomitable 
courage  had  inspired  them  during  the  past  week  to  boldly 
meet  and  fearlessly  fight  the  overwhelming  numbers  that 
were  pressing  them  on  flank  and  rear,  and  in  the  face  of 
apparently  certain  defeat  and  destruction  they  had  persist- 
ently cherished  the  hope  of  ultimatel_v  escaping  from  their 
enemies;  and  hence,  when  apprised  of  the  fact  that  they 
could  fight  no  more,  and  must  lay  down  their  arms,  they 
Vv'cre  at  first  dazed  by  the  startling  intelligence  and  could 
scarcely  realize  its  full  significance,  and  when  they  did  this, 
their  disappointment  and  grief  were  almost  heartrending  in 
their  effects.  While  they  experienced  a  feeling  of  relief  in 
consequence  of  the  termination  of  the  long,  harassing, 
and  unequal  conflict  in  which  they  had  been  engaged,  there 
was  mingled  with  it  an  agonizing  regret  at  the  failure  of 
the  cherished  cause  for  which  they  had  so  earnestly  and 
faithfully  contended.  As  General  Lee  came  riding  back 
from  his  interview  with  General  Grant,  his  men  were  com- 
pletely overcome  by  the  distressing  emotions  which  the  oc- 
casion had  engendered,  and  hundreds  of  them,  regardless  of 


JOHN  ASIITON.  251 

disciplinary  regulations,  broke  ranks,  crowded  around  him, 
and  with  tears  and  sobs  told  him  of  their  sympathy  and 
affection  for  him,  and  struggled  with  each  other  in  their 
efforts  to  obtain  a  farewell  grasp  of  his  hand.  He  was  deeply 
affected  by  this  manifestation  of  their  love  and  sympathy, 
and  with  tears  streaming  down  his  face,  he  gaid : 
"I  have  done  what  I  thought  was  best  for  you." 
They  had  not  questioned  this,  nor  had  they  for  a  single 
moment  lost  confidence  in  their  noble  commander,  and  now 
in  this  dark  hour  of  disaster  and  defeat,  they  loved  and 
honored  him  even  more,  if  that  were  possible,  than  in  the 
bright  days  of  his  greatest  victories.  The  next  day  he  bade 
his  troops  an  affectionate  farewell  in  a  noble  and  touching 
address,  and  on  April  12th,  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia 
was  formally  surrendered,  stacked  their  arms  and  furled 
forever  the  stainless  flag  which  they  had  followed  so  long 
and  loved  so  well,  realizing  that  their  cause  was  lost,  and 
yet  feeling  the  truth  of  the  poet's  strain : 

"Though  right  trampled,  be  counted  for  wrong, 
And  that  pass  for  right  which  is  evil  victorious, 
Here,  when  virtue  is  feeble  and  villainy  strong, 
'Tis  a  cause,  not  thefate  of  a  cause,  that  is  glorious." 

Ashton  had  passed  unhurt  through  the  frequent  conflicts 
in  which  the  cavalry  had  been  engaged  on  its  retreat  from 
Hatcher's  Run  to  Appomattox  Court-house,  and  was  one 
of  the  brave  little  band  of  horsemen  who  boldly  rode  forth 
on  the  morning  of  April  9th  charged  with  the  duty  of 
attacking  more  than  three  times  their  number  and  opening 
a  line  of  retreat  for  the  remnant  of  General  Lee's  army. 
This  duty  was  fearlessly  and  faithfully  done,  and  the  Fed- 
eral cavalry,  as  before  stated,  were  driven  back  in  confusion 
before  them,  until  the  advance  of  General  Ord's  overwhelm- 
ing force  of  infantry  caused  them  to  retire  with  the  hand- 
ful of  Confederate  infantry    that  had  joined  in  the  attack. 

Throughout  the  brief  engagement  Ashton  had  fought 
with  unabated  ardor  and  gallantry  in  the  face  of  stupen- 
dous odds,  conscious  of  the  fact  that  he  was  defending  a 
failing  cause;  and  by  his  chivalrous  conduct  added  one 
more  leaf  to  the  wreath  of  laurel  which  he  had  won  as  a 
true  and  typical  private  soldier  in  the  knightliest  array  the 


252  JOnN  ASIITON. 

world  has  ever  seen.  At  the  time  Generals  Rosser  and  Mun- 
ford  escaped  with  their  commands  by  the  road  to  Lynch- 
burg, which  had  been  opened  by  the  Confederate  cavalry, 
General  Fitzhugh  Lee  also  rode  out  with  a  portion  of  Gen- 
eral W.  H.  F.  Lee's  division,  but  Ashton  remained  with  his 
division  commander  and  was  one  of  the  two  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  men  constituting  the  remnant  of  that  division 
which  surrendered  at  Appomattox  on  April  9th.  The  entire 
Confederate  force  which  surrendered  at  that  time,  including 
officers,  was  twenty-eightthousand  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
one,  consisting  of  two  hundred  and  eighty-one  at  general 
headquarters,  twenty-two  thousand  three  hundred  and 
forty-nine  infantry,  one  thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty- 
nine  cavalrj',  two  thousand,  five  hundred  and  seventy-six 
artillery,  and  fourteen  hundred  and  sixtj'-six  miscellaneous 
troops  composedof  detachments  of  engineers,  invalids,  naval 
brigade,  provost  guards,  etc.  On  the  morning  of  April  9th, 
when  Generals  Gordon  and  Fitzhugh  Lee,  with  their  little 
band  of  about  four  thousand  men  marched  forth  to  open  a 
way  for  farther  retreat,  they  had  with  them  more  than  a 
third  of  the  armed  forces  of  the  krvay  of  Northern  Virginia, 
for,  according  to  the  reports  of  the  ordnance  officers  that 
morning,  there  were  only  seven  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
ninety-two  organized  infantry  with  arms,  and  all  of  the 
cavalry  participated  in  the  movement.  According  to  the 
official  returns  showing  the  effective  strength  of  General 
Grant's  army  on  April  10th,  1865,  it  consisted  of  one  hun- 
dred and  seven  thousand  four  hundred  and  ninet\'-six  men, 
exclusive  of  General  Sheridan's  cavalry  corps  of  about  nine 
thousand  men,  not  included  in  the  report.  It  was  under 
these  circumstances  that  General  Lee  was  forced  to  surren- 
der, and  the  wonder  is,  not  that  he  surrendered  at  that  time, 
but  that  for  six  consecutive  days,  with  a  half -starved  and 
defectively  armed  force  of  about  thirty  thousand  men,  he 
repulsed  the  repeated  assaults  of  the  immense  army  that 
was  gradually  enveloping  him,  and  successfully  conducted 
the  retreat  of  his  army  for  many  miles  over  difficult  roads, 
through  a  country  where  it  was  impossible  to  obtain  food 
for  man  or  beast. 

As  we  have  before  stated.  General   Lee  bade   farewell   to 
his  troops  in  a   touching  address,  and  as  it  embodies  a  just 


JOHN  ASBTON.  253 

and  exalted  tribute  to  the  valor  and  patriotism  of  those  to 
whom  this  work  is  dedicated,  we  believe  that  it  will  find  a 
fitting  place  in  these  pages,  and,  therefore,  deem  it  unneces- 
sary to  apologize  to  the  reader  for  giving  a  copy  of  the 
address,  which  was  as  follows: 
'General  Orders,  No.  9. 

"Headquarters  Army  of  Northern  Virginia, 

April  10th,  1865. 

"After  four  years  of  arduous  service,  marked  by  unsur- 
passed courage  and  fortitude,  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia 
has  been  compelled  to  yield  to  overwhelming  numbers  and 
resources.  I  need  not  tell  the  brave  survivors  of  so  many 
hard-fought  battles,  who  have  remained  steadfast  to  the 
last,  that  I  have  consented  to  the  result  from  no  distrust  of 
them.  But,  feeling  that  valor  and  devotion  could  accom- 
pHsh  nothing  that  could  compensate  for  the  loss  that  must 
have  attended  the  continuance  of  the  contest,  I  determined 
to  avoid  the  useless  sacrifice  of  those  whose  past  services 
have  endeared  them  to  their  countrymen.  By  the  terms  of 
the  agreement,  officers  and  men  can  return  to  their  homes, 
and  remain  until  exchanged.  You  will  take  with  you  the 
satisfaction  that  proceeds  from  the  consciousness  of  duty 
faithfully  performed.  I  earnestly  pray  that  a  merciful  God 
will  extend  to  you  his  blessing  and  protection. 

"With  an  increasing  admiration  of  your  constancy  and 
devotion  to  your  country  and  a  grateful  remembrance  of 
your  kind  and  generous  consideration  of  myself,  I  bid  you 
all  an  affectionate  farewell. 

''R.E.Lee, 
General." 

By  the  terms  of  the  surrender,  couriers  and  mounted  men 
of  the  artillery  and  cavalry,  whose  horses  were  owned  by 
them,  were  allowed  to  retain  them,  and  as  Ashton's  horse 
belonged  to  him,  he  was  permitted  to  keep  the  animal,  and 
shortly  after  the  surrender  of  the  army  he  rode  out  to 
where  the  4th  Georgia  regiment  was  encamped,  in  search  of 
Carrington,  but  failed  to  find  him,  as  he  had  left  for  Rich- 
mond. Returning  to  where  the  small  remnant  of  W.H.  F. 
Lee's  division  had  bivouacked,  Ashton  dismounted  and 
began  to  make  preparations    for  his   departure,    and   the 


254  JOHN  ASIITON. 

reader  will  readily  understand  that  his  place  of  destination 
was  to  be  Richmond,  which,  now  that  the  Confederacy 
had  practically  fallen,  contained  in  the  person  of  Ruth  Mid- 
dleton,all  that  to  him  made  life  worth  living.  His  first  act 
was  to  seek  out  among  the  disbanded  troops  every  member 
of  his  company  for  the  purpose  of  personally  bidding  them 
good-bye,  and,  although  there  were  but  few  of  them  left, 
this  occupied  some  time,  for  each  one  of  them  had  some 
special  and  kindly  words  of  adieu  for  Ashton,  whom  they 
greatly  honored  and  admired.  These  leave-takings  were  in- 
tensely sad,  and  men  who  had  borne  the  brunt  of  battle  for 
four  years  and  never  quailed  under  shot  and  shell  or  shrunk 
from  threatened  sabre-stroke,  were  now  overcome  by 
emotion,  and  could  not  restrain  their  tears  at  the  thought 
of  this  final  parting  and  the  crushing  calamity  which  had 
caused  it.  When  Ashton  had  bidden  his  comrades  good-bye, 
he  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  ofi"  toward  Richmond, 
where  he  arrived  in  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  tiiereaf- 
ter,  and  about  six  hours  after  Carrington  had  reached  the 
city.  Having  secured  a  lodging  place  for  himself  and 
accommodations  for  his  horse,  he  at  once  repaired  to  the 
residence  of  Mrs.  Slaughter.  There  he  found  Carrington 
and  his  wife  and  Ruth  Middleton,  and,  notwithstanding 
their  sorrowful  surroundings,  the  meeting  was  a  happy  one. 
The  soft  love-light  which  he  saw  in  Ruth's  tender  and 
trustful  eyes,  and  the  glad  welcome  which  she  gave  him  as 
he  grasped  her  hand,  made  Ashton  almost  forget,  for  the 
moment,  the  calamity  that  had  befallen  his  country,  and  he 
thought  only  of  his  supreme  happiness  in  possessing  the 
perfect  love  of  the  pure  and  noble  woman  before  him. 

After  their  greetings  were  over,  the  friends  began  to  dis- 
cuss their  plans  for  the  immediate  future,  and  it  was 
promptly  decided  that  the  party  should  leave  for  Georgia 
as  soon  as  preparations  for  their  departure  could  be  made. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  Confederate  money  had  become 
worthless,  the  matter  of  arranging  for  the  payment  of  the 
traveling  expenses  of  the  ladies  and  providing  for  their 
comfort  during  the  journey  home,  at  once  suggested  itself 
to  the  minds  of  Ashton  and  Carrington,  but  they  refrained 
from  mentioning  it  in  the  presence  of  the  former.     As  soon 


JOHN  ASUTON.  235 

as  they  were  alone,  Ashton  mentioned  the  matter  to  Car- 
rington  and  arranged  a  settlement  of  it.  He  informed  the 
latter  that  he  had  not  had  occasion  to  spend   all  of   the 

money  which  he  borrowed   from  Mr.    R ,  and    still  had 

some  of  the  same; that  he  intended  selling  his  horse  in  Rich- 
mond, as  it  would  be  difficult  and  perhaps  impossible  to 
obtain  transportation  for  the  animal,  and  that  he  would 
thus  have  ample  means  to  defray  the  traveling  expenses  of 
the  ladies,  and  requested  that  Carrington  accept  an 
amount  sufficient  for  that  purpose,  concealing  from  the 
ladies  the  source  from  which  it  had  been  obtained.  Car- 
rington agreed  to  this,  and  the  matter  was  thus  arranged 
between  them. 

Ashton  succeeded  in  selling  his  horse  the  next  day  and  it 
whs  with  regret  and  sadness  that  he  parted  with  the 
animal  for,  although  he  had  owned  him  only  about  six 
months,  he  had  become  greatly  attached  to  the  faithful 
creature,  and  nothing  but  necessity  would  have  induced  him 
to  sell  the  horse.  He  exacted  of  the  purchaser  a  jDiomise 
that  he  would  take  good  care  of  him,  and  that  if  at  any 
time  within  the  next  twelve    months   he    should    decide   to 

sell  the  animal,  he  would  write  Ashton  at  B ,  giving  him 

the  privilege  of  purchasing  him. 

By  the  following  morningour  friends  were  ready  to  leave 
Richmond.  Ruth  had  made  a  final  visit  to  the  hospital  and 
taken  leave  of  her  patients,  and  the  many  grateful  thanks 
for  her  kindness  to  them,  and  the  fervent  wishes  for  her 
happiness  which  were  mingled  with  their  parting  words, 
showed  how  truly  and  deeply  they  had  become  attached  to 
her  during  the  time  she  had  patiently  and  tenderly  minis- 
tered to  their  necessities. 

After  warmly  thanking  the  Slaughters  for  their  many 
acts  of  kindness  and  bidding  them  an  affectionate  good-b3'e, 
our  friends  were  driven  to  the  railway  station,  and  were 
soon  on  the  way  to  their  Southern  home.  Their  journey 
was  comparatively  slow  in  consequence  of  the  damage  that 
had  been  recently  done  by  military  operations  against  the 
railroads  south  of  Richmond,  but  in  the    course   of  a  week 

they  arrived  at  B .     A  few  days  thereafter  the  army  of 

General  Joseph  B.  Johnston,  in  North  Carolina,  surrendered 


256  JOHN  ASHTON. 

to  General  Sherman,  and  this  event  practically  terminated 
the  war,  as  farther  resistance  to  the  Federal  troops  east  of 
the  Mississippi  was  impracticable,  and  the  Confederate 
force  tinder  General  Kirby  Smith  in  the  Trans- Mississippi 
department  was  too  small  to  successfully  prolong  the 
struggle. 

In  the  meantime,  Ashton  had  not  wasted  a  single  day  in 
fruitless  regrets  at  the  fate  of  the  cause  for  which  he  had 
bravely  contended  for  four  years,  but  accepted  the  result  of 
the  struggle  as  a  calamity  that  must  be  patiently  and 
courageously  endured,  and  its  disastrous  consequences 
overcome  by  bold  and  manly  effort. 

Hence,  on  the  day  after  his  arrival  in  B ,  Ashton  began 

to  make  arrangements  for  resuming  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession.    He  sought  an  interview   with   the  gentleman  .to 

whom  he  had  sold  his  law  library  just  before  leaving  B 

to  join  the  Confederate  army,  and  informed  him  that  he 
desired  to  repurchase  it,  but  was  unable  to  do  so  at  that 
time,  and  would  have  to  ask  indulgence  until  he  could  make 
the  money  to  pay  for  the  books.  As  the  gentleman  had 
perfect  confidence  in  Ashtou's  integrity,  and  also  in  his  pro- 
fessional ability,  he  unhesitatingly  sold  him  the  books  and 
granted  the  requested  indulgence.  Having  thus  secured  a 
library,  Ashton  immediately  opened  an  office,  and  through 
the  medium  of  the  village  paper  announced  that  he  had  re- 
sumed the  practice  of  law. 

On  arriving  in  B ,  Carrington  and   his  wife  had  gone 

home  with  Ruth,  intending  to  remain  there  only  a  few  days 

and  then  proceed  to   E ,  his   former  place   of  residence, 

where  he  expected  to  resume  the  practice  of  medicine.  But 
the  existence  of  certain  circumstances,  that  were  either  un- 
known or  not  considered  at  the  time,  caused  a  complete 
change  in  their  x^lans.  In  order  that  the  reason  for  this 
change  may  be  fully  understood,  it  will  be  necessarj  for  us 
to  give  the  reader  some  account  of  the  financial  affairs  of 
Ruth  Middleton  and  her  cousin  Bertha,  and  in  so  doing,  we 
will  have  to  begin  at  a  period  antedating  the  opening  of  our 
story. 


JOHN  ASlITOIi.  257 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

James  Middleton  and  Herbert  Gray  were  intimate  friends 
and  classmates  at  the  University  of  Georgia,  where  they 
graduated  in  1838.  After  taking  a  course  of  lectures  in 
Jefferson  Medical  College,  at  Philadelphia,  and  obtaining  a 
diploma  from  that  institution,  Middleton  began  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  in    B .     Shortly  thereafter   Gray  visited 

Middleton  and  spent  about  a  month  with  him.  During 
this  time  Middleton  and  Gray  formed  the  acquaintance  of 
Mary  and  Annie  Ansley, daughters  and  only  children  of  Mr. 
Robert  Ansle^',  a  wealthy  planter  who  resided   about  three 

miles  from    B .     They    were  greatly    pleased  with   the 

Misses  Ansley  and  consequently  made  frequent  visits  to 
"The  Oaks,"  as  Mr.  Ansley 's  residence  was  called  on  ac- 
count of  the  magnificent  grove  of  forest  oaks  in  which  his 
handsome  house  was  situated.  As  a  result  of  the  acquaint- 
ance thus  begun,  the  two  friends  subsequently  wooed  and 
won  the  maidens  of  their  choice,  and  the  following  winter 
there  was  a  brilliant  and  happy  double  marriage  at  "The 
Oaks"  in  which  James  Middleton  and  Mary  Ansley,  and 
Herbert  Gray  and  Annie  Ansley  respectively,  were  the  con- 
tracting parties. 

A  few  months  after  this  evftit  Mr.  Ansley  died  intestate 
and,  as  his  wife  had  previously  died,  his  two  daughters 
became  his  only  heirs  and  inherited  his  entire  estate  as  ten- 
ants in  common.  At  the  time  of  their  marriage  there  had 
been  no  marriage  settlement  between  them  and  their  respec- 
tive husbands,  and  hence,  under  the  existing  law  of  the 
State,  the  marital  rights  of  their  husbands  attached  to  the 
estate  thus  inherited  and  it  became  the  property  of  the  lat- 
ter. However,  Middleton  and  Gray  had  no  inclination  to 
assert  their  rights  to  the  property,  and  promptly  proposed 
to  relinquish  the  same  and  settle  the  property  on  their 
wives.  To  this  the  latter  objected  and,  in  that  spirit  of 
conjugal  love  and  loyalty  that  characterized  the  Southern 
ladies  of  their  class  in  those  days,  insisted  that  nothing  be 
done  that  was  suggestive  of  a  separate  existence  of  hus- 
band and  wife.    Their  husbands  yielded  to  their   wishes  in 


258  JOHN  ASHTON. 

the  matter  and,  as  it  was  desirable  that  the  large  and  valu- 
able plantation  left  by  Mr.  Ansley  should  not  be  divided,  it 
was  arranged  between  Middleton  and  Gray  that  they 
would  jointly  cultivate  it  as  tenants  in  common.  In  ac- 
cordance with  this  arrangement,  they  employed  an  active 
and  intelligent  farmer  to  take  charge  of  the  plantation  and 
the  numerous  slaves  thereon,  and  conduct  all  of  the  farm- 
ing operations,  Gray  and  his  wife  taking  up  their  residence 
at  "The  Oaks,"  and  Middleton  and  his  wife  remaining 
in  B . 

This  arrangement  was  harmoniously  and  profitably 
carried  out  for  many  years  and  indeed  until  the  death  of 
the  parties  to  it,  which  occurred  about  three  years  before 
the  opening  of  our  story.  Middleton  and  Gray  died  the 
same  year,  and  by  their  deaths  their  only  children,  Ruth 
Middleton  and  Bertha  Gray,  were  doubly  orphaned,  as 
their  mothers  had  died  several  years  before.  At  this  time 
Ruth  and  Bertha  were  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  and 
shortly  after  their  fathers  died    Mrs.  Martha   Foster  came 

to  live  with  them  in  B ,  as    we  have   before  stated,    and 

had  ever  since  remained  in  charge  of  their  household 
affairs. 

The  guardian  who  was  appointed  for  Ruth  and  Bertha 
continued  the  management  of  their  property  just  as  it  had 
been  managed  by  their  fathers,  and  it  was  still  undivided 
at  the  time  of  their  return  from  Richmond.  This  guardian 
was  the  elderly  lawyer  to  whom  Ashton   had  sold    his   law 

library  on   leaving   B for   the   army   and  who,   as   we 

stated,  was  exempt  from  military  duty  on  account  of 
physical  infirmity.  He  had  been  faithful  to  his  trust  and 
managed  the  property  of  his  wards  as  well  as  could  have 
been  expected  under  the  disadvantageous  circumstances  in- 
cident to  the  war.  Believing  in  the  ultimate  triumph  of 
the  Confederate  arms  and  acting  in  a  spirit  of  loj^alty  to 
the  Government,  he  had  each  year  invested  the  net  income 
of  his  wards'  property  in  Confederate  bonds.  The  invest- 
ments thus  made  proved  to  be  unfortunate,  as  the  result  of 
the  war  rendered  the  bonds  entirely  worthless,  but  neither 
of  his  wards  blamed  him  for  what  he  had  done,  as  they 
honored   the  motives  that  had  controlled  his  conduct,    and 


JOHN  ASIITON,  259 

knew    that   he  had    acted  in    perfectly  good   faith  toward 
themseh'es. 

As  their  slaves  had  been  emancipated  and  the  troops  of 
Sherman,  in  their  march  through  Georgia  the  preceding 
year,  had  stolen  most  of  the  stock  and  cattle  on  the  planta- 
tion, and  destroyed  all  of  the  farm  products  on  tlie  place, 
Ruth  and  Bertha,  on  arriving  at  home,  found  that  they  had 
suddenly  been  reduced  from  a  condition  of  affluence  to  a 
state  of  comparative  poverty;  for  although  their  land  re- 
mained, they  had  been  deprived  of  the  means  of  cultivating 
it.  However,  their  condition  was  much  better  than  that  of 
many  other  Georgians  whose  homes  lay  in  the  devastating 
lines  of  march  of  General  Sherman  and  his  merciless  and 
marauding  army,  and  whose  property  was  entirely  de- 
stroyed, for  some  of  their  faithful  and  affectionate  slaves 
had,  b\'  carrying  off  and  concealing  the  same,  managed  to 
save  some  of  the  stock  and  cattle  on  the  place  and  suffi- 
cient forage  to  sustain  the  animals  for  several  months.  The 
family  residence  at  "The  Oaks"  had  also  been  saved  by  the 
forethought  of  their  faithful  servants  and  the  deception 
practiced  by  the  latter  on  the  Federal  soldiers,  for,  on  the 
approach  of  the  Federal  army,  these  negroes  induced  the 
white  man  in  charge  of  the  plantation  to  vacate  "the  big 
house,"  as  they  called  the  family  residence,  and  at  once 
took  possession  of  the  same,  apparently  as  a  j)lace  of 
permanent  abode.  When  the  Federal  soldiers  arrived  the\' 
found  the  negroes  in  possession  of  the  house,  and  were  at 
once  informed  by  the  latter  that  they  intended  making  it 
their  permanent  residence  until  the  return  of  its  owners, 
who  were,  as  they  said,  "two  secesh  gals  what  jined  de 
Confedrick  army,  er  ruther  went  ter  Richmon'  ternuss rebel 
sogers."  They  had  carried  into  the  house  their  bedding, 
furniture,  etc.,  and  begged  the  soldiers  not  to  turn  them 
out  or  injure  the  building,  as  they  wished  to  live  in  it. 
More,  perhaps,  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  in  the  anticipated 
humiliation  of  the  absent  owners  on  their  return,  than 
from  any  real  interest  in  or  regard  for  the  negroes,  the  Fed- 
eral soldiers  granted  their  request  and  refrained  from  burn- 
ing the  house. 


260  JOHN  ASHTON. 

The  guardian  of  Ruth  and  Bertha  had  also  managed  to 
preserve  a  part  of  their  property,  which  proved  of  great 
value  to  them  on  their  return.  As  soon  as  he  ascertained 
the  routes  by  which  Sherman  was  marching  through  Geor- 
gia, he  had  the  few  bales  of  cotton  then  on  the  plantation 
shipped  to  a  point  entirely  out  of  the  line  of  Sherman's 
march,  and  it  was  thus  saved  from  capture. 

Immediately  after  the  return  of  Ruth  and  Bertha  their 
guardian  had  a  settlement  with  them  and  turned  over  all 
that  was  left  of  their  estate,  as  they  were  now  of  age  and 
entitled  to  the  possession  of  the  property.  This  action 
necessitated  the  making  of  some  arrangement  for  the  man- 
agement of  the  property,  and  Ruth  suggested  to  Bertha 
that  the^'  should  request  Carrington  to  take  charge  of  it. 
To  this  Bertha  assented,  and  when  Carrington  was  in- 
formed of  their  wishes  in  regard  to  the  matter  he  promptly 
decided  to  comply  with  the  same.  And  this  is  why  he 
changed  his  plans  and  did  not  proceed  to  his  former  home, 
to  resume  the  practice  of  medicine. 

Having  consented  to  undertake  the  management  of  the 
plantation,  Carrington  at  once  began  to  make  preparations 
for  entering  upon  his  new  field  of  labor  and,  as  he  had 
never  had  any  experience  in  farming,  his  first  step  was  to 
secure  the  services  of  a  practical  farmer  to  aid  him  in  his 
work.  Owing  to  tlie  great  scarcity  of  cotton  in  the  coun- 
trv,  he  obtained  an  unprecedentedly  and  almost  fabulousl3' 
high  price  for  the  few  bales  before  mentioned,  and  realized 
from  their  sale  about  twenty-five  hundred  dollars.  He  was 
thus  enabled  to  purchase  stock,  farming  implements,  etc., 
sufficient  to  cultivate  a  considerable  part  of  the  plantation, 
and  also  to  meet  the  current  expenses  of  the  farm  for 
awhile.  He  had  no  difficulty  in  securing  as  many  laborers  as 
he  wished,  for  nearly  all  of  the  former  slaves  on  the  place 
were  so  much  attached  to  Ruth  and  Bertha  that  they  were 
anxious  to  remain  with  and  work  for  them  on   almost  any 

terms. 

Having  made  contracts  with  as  many  of  the  negroes  as 
existing  circumstances  would  authorize  him  to  employ,  Car- 
rington immediately  began  his  farming  operations.  Al- 
though it  was  rather  late   for  the  planting  of  cotton,  he 


JOHN  ASUTOm  281 

determined  to  plant  as  much  as  could  be  cultivated  with 
the  force  at  his  command,  as  he  was  satisfied  that  the 
price  of  cotton  would  be  very  high  the  next  winter. 

As  soon  as  Carrington  had  completed  his  farming  ar- 
rangements, he  and  his  wife  and  Ruth  Middkton  moved 
out  to  "The  Oaks,"  the  dwelling-house  there  having  been 
put  in  proper  condition  for  their  reception,  Mrs.  Foster 
accompanied  them  and  continued  to  discharge  her  accus- 
tomed duties  as  housekeeper. 

Although  deprived  of  the  luxuries  and  some  of  the  com- 
forts of  life  to  which  they  had  previously  been  accustomed, 
Ruth  and  Bertha  were  not  only  contented  but  also  happy 
in  their  country  home,  and  cheerfully  practiced  such  econ- 
omy as  was  required  by  their  circumstances  and  surround- 
ings. As  Carrington  had  the  assistance  of  an  experienced 
farmer  in  the  management  of  the  farm,  he  was  enabled  to 
secure  some  leisure  time  nearly  every  da^^,  and  this  was 
spent  in  reviewing  and  prosecuting  his  medical  studies,  and 
also  in  the  occasional  practice  of  his  profession,  to  which  he 
was  thoroughly  devoted. 

Being  a  skillful  physician,  the  success  which  marked  his 
practice  soon  gave  him  an  excellent  reputation,  and  in  a 
few  months  his  practice  became  so  extensive  that  it  occu- 
pied the  greater  part  of  his  time  and  attention. 

Ruth  and  Bertha  were  greatly  interested  in  everything 
about  the  farm,  and  took  an  active  part  in  looking  after  the 
poultry-yard  and  dairy  department,  and  by  their  skillful 
management  of  the  affairs  therein,  materially  aided  in  meet- 
ing the  current  expenses  of  the  household.  Thus,  in  a  quiet 
but  industrious  manner  the  occupants  of  "The  Oaks"  passed 
the  ensuing  summer  and  autumn,   the  time   beng  enlivened 

bj'  frequent  visits  from  their  numerous  friends  in  B .    Of 

this  number  Ashton  was,  of  course,  the  most  frequent  visi- 
tor, and  the  hours  which  he  was  thus  enabled  to  spend 
with  Ruth  had  been  to  the  lovers  the  happiest  of  their  lives. 

He  had  applied  himself  closely  to  the  study  and  practice 
of  his  profession  and,  so  far  as  the  number  of  his  clients 
was  concerned,  had  no  cause  to  complain  of  his  business, 
but,  owing  to  their  impoverished  condition  and  the  general 
scarcity  of  money,  his  compensation  thus  far  had  been  by 


262  JOHN  ASRTON. 

no  means  proportionate  to  the  work  he  had  done.  Several 
of  his  cases  had  been  such  as  required  extensive  research 
and  the  exercise  of  great  skill  and  judgment  in  their  prepa- 
ration, and  the  thorough  manner  in  which  they  had  been 
prepared,  and  his  skillful  and  successful  conduct  of  them  in 
the  court-room  at  once  established  his  reputation  as  a  pro- 
found lawyer  and  an  able  advocate.  Having  thus  rapidly 
risen  to  a  high  rank  in  his  profession,  he  felt  satisfied  that 
with  the  return  of  prosperous  times  his  practice  would 
become  lucrative,  and  he  would  have  contentedly  awaited 
the  arrival  of  this  period  but  for  his  earnest  longing  to  con- 
summate his  engagement  with  Ruth  Middleton. 

We  have  seen  how  his  unselfish  love  had  enabled   him  to 
conquer  the  promptings  of  this  longing   and  refrain   from 
asking  Ruth  to  marry  him  during  the  war,    and  this   same 
love  had  now  sealed  his  lips  on  the  subject  that  was  nearest 
and  dearest  to  his  heart,  and  caused  him   to  refrain    from 
requesting  a  consummation  of  their  engagement  on  account 
of    his    comparatively    impoverished   condition.     He  knew 
that  Ruth's  love  for  him  was  such   that  she  would  unhesi- 
tatingly marry  him  even  if  he  were  indeed  poverty-stricken, 
but  he  was  unwilling  to  take  advantage   of  this   love,  and 
felt  that  he  had  no  right  to  ask  her  to  share  his  lot  until  he 
was  able  to  make  her  condition  in    life   at  least   approxi- 
mately as  comfortable  as  that  to  which  she  had  previously 
been  accustomed.     For  a    long  time   he  persistently   enter- 
tained   this  one-sided  view  of  the   matter,    without    for   a 
moment   considering  that,    in  thus  acting,  he  was   uninten- 
tionally doing   injustice  to   Ruth  and  her  unselfish  love  for 
him,  and  that  to  this  love  belonged  the  divine  right  of  self- 
abnegation  and  sacrifice.     He  would  doubtless   have  indefi- 
nitely continued  thus  to  view  the  matter   but  for   the  fact 
that  Carrington,  who  understood  his  views  on  the  subject, 
determined  to  correct    what  he   conceived    to   be   Ashton's 
misconception  of  his  duty    toward  Ruth  in  view  of  his  un- 
favorable financial  condition. 

In  pursuance  of  this  purpose,  and  in  the  exercise  of  the 
privilege  which  their  intimacy  gave  him,  Carrington  soon 
spoke  to  Ashton  in  regard  to  his  relation  to  Ruth,  expressed 
surprise  at  their  long  engagement,   and  asked  him  why   no 


JOHN  ASIITON.  263 

steps  were  being  taken  to  consummate  it.  Ashton  frankly 
answered  his  question,  and  in  so  doing  gave  the  reasons 
already  mentioned  for  his  conduct  in  refraining  from  ask- 
ing Ruth  for  a  consummation  of  the  engagement.  Car- 
rington  told  him  that  these  reasons,  although  unselfish  in 
their  origin  and  character,  were  entirely  one-sided,  and  by 
no  means  sufficient  to  justify  his  conduct,  that  Ruth's  views 
on  the  subject  ought  to  be  consulted,  and  that  she  should 
at  least  have  an  opportunity  for  expressing  her  ideas  and 
wishes  in  regard  to  the  matter.  Not  having  considered  this 
view  of  the  subject,  Ashton  was  almost  startled  by  Car- 
rington's  confident  presentation  of  it,  and,  of  course,  did 
not  at  first  accept  its  correctness. 

Subsequently, however,  he  realized  the  reasonableness  and 
correctness  of  Carrington's  views,  and  determined  that  he 
would  at  least  fully  explain  to  Ruth  why  he  had  not  re- 
quested a  consummation  of  their  engagement,  and  let  the 
manner  in  which  she  received  his  explanation  decide  his 
future  conduct  in  regard  to  the  matter.  Having  formed 
this  determination,  Ashton  promptly  proceeded  to  carry  it 
out,  and  visited  Ruth  the  following  day  for  that  purpose. 

On  arriving  at  "The  Oaks"  he  found  that  Bertha  had 
accompanied  Carrington  on  a  visit  to  one  of  his  patients, 
and  that  he  would,  therefore,  have  an  opportunity  for  a 
private  and  uninterrupted  conversation  with  Ruth  without 
appearing  to  have  sought  it.  Ruth's  welcome  was  as  warm 
as  the  most  exacting  lover  could  have  wished,  and  the 
bright  and  happy  smile  that  illumined  her  face  on  meet- 
ing Ashton  was  a  renewed  assurance  of  the  fact  that  she 
loved  him  with  her  whole  soul,  and  naturally  tended  to  has- 
ten the  explanation  which  he  had  come  to  make.  Hence, 
their  happy  greetings  had  scarcely  ended  before  he  began 
to  unbosom  himself  in  regard  to  the  object  of  his  visit. 
After  reminding  her  of  his  all-absorbing  love  for  her,  and 
reiterating  his  often  repeated  assurance  as  to  the  unspeak 
able  happiness  which  her  love  had  brought  to  him,  he  told 
her  how,  for  her  sake,  he  had  refrained  from  asking  her  to 
marry  him  during  the  war,  as  he  could  then  offer  her  noth- 
ing but  his  love,  and  how,  for  similar  reasons,  he  had  for 
months  past  been  daily  battling  with  the  intense  longing  to 


264  JOHN  ASHTON. 

make  her  his  wife,  as  his  circumstances  were  such  that  he 
was  unwilling  to  ask  her  to  share  his  lot,  which  was  so 
much  less  favorable  than  that  to  which  she  had  always 
been  accustomed.  He  then  stated  that  although  he  was 
satisfied  that  she  understood  his  past  conduct  and  the  mo- 
tives which  prompted  it,  he  felt  that  in  justice  to  her  and 
to  himself  he  ought  to  frankly  converse  with  her  in  regard 
to  the  matter  and  fully  explain,  as  he  was  then  doing,  why 
he  had  refrained  from  asking  for  a  consummation  of  their 
engagement,  and  assure  her  that  in  thus  acting  he  had  been 
postponing  his  own  happiness  in  order  that  he  might  be- 
come the  better  fitted  to  secure  her  own. 

With  quiet  mien  and  downcast  eyes  Ruth  had  listened  to 
Ashton's  words,  and  when  he  finished  she  modestly  looked 
up  her  eyes  beaming  with  the  unmistakable  and  yet  inde- 
scribable light  of  love,  and  her  cheeks  roseate  with  blushes, 
and  said : 

"Yes,  darling,  I  have  all  the  while  understood  why  you 
refrained  from  asking  for  a  consummation  of  our  engage- 
ment, and  I  appreciate  and  honor  the  motive  that  has 
prompted  you  in  so  doing;  but  if  you  had  fully  compre- 
hended the  workings  of  a  woman's  heart,  the  vicarious 
character  of  her  love,  and  the  delight  which  she  experiences 
in  making  sacrifices  for  the  object  of  her  aff'ections,  you 
would  not  have  so  long  delayed  your  explanation  and  the 
opportunity  now  afforded  me  for  assuring  you  that  I  will 
gladly  share  your  lot  in  life  as  soon  as  you  may  wish,  and 
would  willingly  do  this  were  you  so  poor  that  our  future 
home  should  be  but  a  hovel." 

"Then,  my  noble  and  generous  darling,"  joyously  said 
Ashton,  "as  the  sacrifice  which  you  are  ready  to  make  will 
be  one  that  love  not  only  prompts,  but  delights  in  making, 
I  will  for  once  be  selfish  in  my  love  and  ask  you  to  com- 
plete my  happiness  by  becoming  my  wife  at  an  early  date." 

Ruth  willingly  promised  compliance  with  his  request,  and 
before  Ashton  left  the  wedding  day  way  fixed  for  the  latter 
part  of  December. 

Ashton  had  long  been  happy  in  the  possession  of  Ruth's 
love,  but,  as  he  rode  back  to  B at  sunset  on  that  Novem- 
ber afternoon,  his  heart  was  filled  with  inexpressible  joy  at 


JOHN  ASHTON.  265 

the  thought  that  he  would  so  soon  be  blessed  with  the  con- 
stant companionship  and  daily  caresses  of  the  woman  who 
was  dearer  to  him  than  hfe  itself.  Although  he  still  re- 
gretted, for  Ruth's  sake,  that  his  financial  condition  was 
not  more  favorable,  Ashton  no  longer  allowed  thoughts  of 
it  to  trouble  him  as  they  had  previously  done;  for  Ruth's 
words  had  revealed  to  him  that  such  love  as  hers  neither 
considered  nor  valued  conditions  of  life  except  in  so  far  as 
they  gave  to  the  person  who  cherished  such  affection  oppor- 
tunities for  companionship  with  and  devotion  to  the  being 
on  whom  it  had  been  bestowed.  Hence,  from  this  time 
forward  it  was  with  a  light  and  happj-  heart  that  he 
prosecuted  his  professional  work,  which  thereb\^  became  all 
the  easier  and  pleasanter  to  him. 

Ruth  had  also  been  rendered  very  happy  by  the  result  of 
her  interview  with  Ashton,  and  was  almost  glad  that  he 
was  comparatively  poor,  as  that  fact  had  enabled  her  to 
manifest  the  perfect  unselfishness  of  her  love  by  expressing 
her  readiness  to  share  his  lot,  and  would  still  farther  en- 
able her  to  prove  her  thorough  devotion  to  him  in  acts  of 
sacrifice  after  their  marriage. 

When  Carrington  and  Bertha  returned  that evenino;,  Ruth 
informed  them  that  the  day  for  her  marriage  to  Ashton 
had  been  fixed,  and  the  former  joyously  declared  that  for 
once  during  the  year  he  would  eschew  economy  and  spare 
no  expense  in  making  it  "a  royal  wedding"  and  worthy  of 
the  parties  to  it.  To  this  Ruth  demurred,  stating  that  she 
did  not  wish  any  unnecessary  expense  incurred  in  prepara- 
tions for  the  event,  and  preferred  that  there  should  be  no 
unusual  display  on  the  occasion ;  but  Carrington  good- 
naturedly,  yet  firmly  told  her  that,  although  it  was  to  be 
her  wedding,  he  proposed  to  "boss  it,"  and  was  bent  on 
having  his  way  in  regard  to  the  afi'air,  and  she  finally 
yielded  to  his  wishes.  As  the  intervening  time  was  short, 
preparations  for  the  approaching  marriage  were  at  once 
begun,  and  among  the  first  of  these  w^as  the  arrangement 
by  Ruth  and  Bertha  of  a  list  of  those  to  whom  invitations 
should  be  sent.  Heading  this  list  were  the  names  of 
their  Virginia  friends,  Mrs.  Slaughter's  family.  Belle  Pres- 
ton, and   Lieutenants  Preston    and    Harris.    Immediately 


266  JOHN  A  SB  TON. 

following  these  was  the  name  of  Miss  Annie  R ,  of  New 

Castle,  Delaware,  whose  presence  Ruth  knew  would  give 
great  pleasure  to  Ashton,  and  for  whom  she  had,  on  his  ac- 
count, formed  a  strong  attachment,  although  she  had  never 

seen  her.     This  allusion  to    Miss  R reminds  us  to  state 

that,  by  practice  of  great  economy,  Asliton  had  saved 
enough  money  to  refund  the  amount  borrowed  by  him 
from  her  father,  and  this   had  been  done  the  mouth  before. 

Shortly  after  his  return  to  B ,  he  had  written  to   Miss 

R renewing  his  grateful  acknowledgment  of  the  inesti- 
mable kindness  that  she  had  shown  him,  and  this  letter  led 
to  a  correspondence  between  them  which  was  still  in 
progress. 

About  the  first  of  December  Ashton  received  from  the 
gentleman  in  Richmond,  to  whom  he  had  sold  his  horse,  a 
letter  in  which  the  gentleman  informed  him  that  he  had 
decided  to  dispose  of  the  animal  and,  in  accordance  with  his 
promise,  would  give  Ashton  the  privilege  of  repurchasing 
him.  Unfortunately  Ashton  could  not  spare  the  money  for 
this  purpose  and,  with  a  feeling  of  disappointment  and  sad- 
ness, wrote  the  gentleman  that  he  was  not  at  that  time 
prepared  to  purchase  the  animal.  His  disappointment  was 
great  and  he  naturally  mentioned  the  matter  to  his  friend 
Carrington,  telling  him  how  anxious  he  had  been  to  recover 
his  horse.  Carrington  promptly  offered  to  loan  him  the 
money  for  the  purpose  of  repurchasing  the  animal ;  but 
Ashton  declined  his  offer,  stating  that  he  was  unwilling  to 
incur  any  debt  except  in  a  case  of  absolute  necessity,  espe- 
cially in  view  of  his  approaching  marriage  and  the  increased 
responsibilities  that  he  would  thereby  assume.  In  a  conver- 
sation with  Bertha  and  Ruth  the  following  day  Carrington 
mentioned  this  matter,  and  told  them  how  sorry  he  was 
that  Ashton  had  been  disappointed  in  failing  to  recover  his 
horse,  and  expressed  regret  that  he  would  not  accept  a 
loan  of  the  money  necessary  to  purchase  the  animal.  At 
the  time  Ruth  did  no  more  than  express  her  sympathy  for 
Ashton  in  his  disappointment;  but  as  soon  as  she  could 
speak  with  Carrington  privately,  she  requested  him  to 
write  at  once  and  purchase  the  horse  for  her,  stating  that 
she  intended  that  Ashton  should  have  the  animal,  and 
■wished  to  give  it  to  him  as  a   Christmas  present.     In  com- 


JOHN  ASIITON.  267 

pHance  with  Ruth's  request,  Carriugton  iinmediately  wrote 
to  the  owner  of  the  horse,  inclosing  a  check  for  the  price  of 
the  animal  and  explaining  that  he  was  purchasing  the  horse 
for  Ashton  and  wished  him  shipped  so  that  he  would  arrive 

at  B the  day  before  Christmas.     In  a  few  days  Carring- 

ton  received  a  letter  from  the  owner  of  the  horse,  acknowl- 
edging the  receipt  of  the  purchase  money  for  the  animal 
and  stating  that  he  would  be  shipped  in  accordance  with 
the  instructions  given.  On  receiving  information  of  this 
fact,  Ruth  was  greatly  pleased,  and,  in  anticipation,  re- 
joiced over  the  agreeable  surprise  which  she  would  thus  be 
enabled  to  provide  for  Ashton. 


268  JOHN  ASHTON. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Christmas  had  been  fixed  as  the  time  for  Ruth's  marriage, 
and  the  wedding  guests  from  a  distance  arrived  three  days 
before  that  time.  Mrs.  Slaughter  and  Randolph  could  not 
come  and  sent  their  regrets  by  Kate.  The  latter  came  in 
company  with  Belle  Preston,  Lieutenants  Preston  and  Har- 
ris, and  Miss  Annie  R ,  who  had  joined  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  party  in  Richmond  by  an  arrangement  pre- 
viously  made  at   Ruth's  suggestion.     The  two  gentlemen 

stopped  with  Ashton  in  B ,  and  the   ladies  of  the  party 

became  the  guests  of  Ruth  and  Bertha  at  "The  Oaks."  The 
meeting  between  the  latter  and  their  guests    was  a  joyous 

one,  and  the  greeting  which  Ruth   extended  to   Miss  R 

was  no  less  cordial  than  that  given  to  the  other  girls.  As 
before  stated,  she  had  already  formed  a  strong  attachment 
for  this  girl  whom  she  had  never  seen,  and  now,  on  looking 
into  her  pure  and  noble  face,  she  felt  assured  that  this  at- 
tachment would  become  still  stronger  with  an  increased 
knowledge  of  her  character. 

The  preparations  for  Ruth's  marriage  had  been  vigorously 
prosecuted,  and  at  tlie  time  at  which  the  guests  arrived 
there  was  but  little  to  do  outside  of  finishing  the  house 
decorations,  and  in  the  completion  of  those  the  visitors 
took  an  active  and  efficient  part.  While  engaged  in  this 
work  the  following  day  the  ladies  were  interrupted  by  the 
arrival  of  visitors  from  B ,  who  proved  to  be  Lieuten- 
ants Preston  and  Harris  and  Doctor  George  Hardj',  a 
voung  physician  with  whom  Carrington  had  recently 
formed  a  partnership  on  account  of  the  fact  that  his  prac- 
tice had  so  greatly  increased  he  needed  an  assistant.  On 
discovering  in  what  work  the  ladies  were  engaged,  the  gen- 
tlemen expressed  regret  that  their  visit  had  been  made  at  an 
inopportune  time,  and,  suggesting  that  they  would  call 
again,  were  about  to  retire,  when  Kate  Slaughter  informed 
them  that  they  could  not  possibly  have  come  at  a  more  op- 
portune moment,  as  their  assistance  was  just  then  greatly 
needed,  and  immediately  pressed  them  into  service.  They 
readily  and  gracefully   yielded  obedience  to  her  command, 


JOEN  ASHTON.  269 

and  were  soon  busily  engaged  in  assisting  their  fair  com- 
panions in  the  work  of  decorating  the  house.  As  Kate 
Slaughter  naturally  appropriated  Preston  as  the  person  to 
whom  she  had  the  best  right  to  "issue  orders,"  and  Harris, 
following  the  promptings  of  his  heart,  having  offered  his 
services  to  Belle  Preston,  it  fell  to  Hardy's  lot  to  assist  the 
other  ladies.  He  was  too  gallant  to  discriminate  between 
them  in  the  offers  of  his  services,  but  Ruth  and  Bertha  soon 
managed  to  make  themselves  so  indispensable  to  each  other 
that  he  was  left  free  to  render  constant  assistance  to    Miss 

R .    In    speaking    to    Hardy    of    Miss  R 's   expected 

presence  at  Ruth's  marriage,  Carrington  had  told  him  of 
the  circumstances  under  which  Ashton  had  formed  her 
acquaintance,  and  the  services  which  she  had  rendered  the 
latter  and  other  Confederate  soldiers  in  the  hospital  at 
Washington,  and  Hardy  had  naturally  become  greatly  in- 
terested in  her,  and  formed  a  strong  desire  to  meet  her.  In 
the  course  of  the  conversation  that  occurred  between  them 

while  he    was  assisting   Miss  R with    the    decorations, 

Hardy  alluded  to  what  Carrington  hadjtold  him  of  her  serv- 
ices at  the  hospital  in  Washington,  and  manifested  so 
much  interest  in  the  matter  that  she  was  led  to  speak  freely 
and  at  length  concerning  her  experience  in  nursing  the  sick 
and  wounded  Confederate  soldiers  who  came  under  her 
care.  This  experience  in  some  instances  had  been  inexpres- 
sibly sad,  and  the  recollection  of  the  same  was  even  then 
harrowing  to  her  heart.  Indeed,  she  could  scarcely  refrain 
from  weeping  as  she  told  of  the  intense  physical  suffering 
of  some  stalwart  soldier  who  had  been  stricken  down  in  the 
full  strength  of  manhood,  and  of  the  still  greater  mental 
anguish  of  some  beardless  boy  who  had  been  dangerously 
wounded  in  battle,  and,  having  lost  all  hope  of  recovery, 
daily  longed  for  the  presence  of  his  parents  and  lamented 
the  heartrending  grief  which  they  would  experience  when 
they  learned  thiit  he  had  died  in  a  strange  land,  without 
having  had  their  loving  presence  and  sympathy  to  sustain 
him  in  his  last  moments.     Hardy    was  deeply  affected  by 

the  recital  of  such  incidents  in  the  experience  of    Miss  R , 

and,  being  a  physician  and  accustomed  to  death-bed  scenes, 
he  was  fully  capacitated  to  understand   and  appreciate  the 


270  JOHN  ASHTON. 

ordeals  through  which  she  had  pa-sed,  and  his  heart  was 
filled  with  admiration  akin  to  homage  for  this  pure  and 
noble  Northern  girl  who  had  thus  endured  the  severest 
trials,  and  devoted  herself  to  the  service  of  Southern 
soldiers  because  she  believed  that  the^^  were  suffering  in 
a  just  cause.  By  both  word  and  look  he  showed  how 
much  he  appreciated  her  noble  deeds,  and  how  highly 
he  honored  her  for  what  she  had  done,  and  indeed  was  so 
enthusiastic  in  his  manifestation  of  this  appreciation  that 
his  expression  of  the  same  was  only  stopped  by  the  discov- 
ery that  her  cheeks  were  suffused  with  blushes.  He  imme- 
diately apologized  for  his  seeming  lack  of  consideration  in 
thus  embarrassing  her,  and  explained  his  conduct  by  stating 
that  his  admiration  for  her  singularly  unselfish  devotion  to 
a  cause  that  was  inexpressibly  dear  to  his  heart,  had  so  en- 
thused him  that  for  the  moment  he  had  forgotten  that 
praises  due  to  modesty's  achievements  should  alwaj^s  be 
paid  by  proxy.  The  explanation  was,  of  course,  satis- 
factory to  Miss  R, and  she  soon  recovered  from  her  tem- 
porary'embarrassment  and  continued  her  conversation  with 
Hardy  in  an  easy  and  unconstrained  manner. 

Under  the  deft  handiwork  of  theladiesand  the  less  skillful 
but  efficient  labors  of  the  gentlemen,  the  task  of  decorating 
the  house  rapidly  progressed ;  but  as  the  decorations  were 
to  be  quite  elaborate,  and  extensive,  they  could  not  be  fin- 
ished during  the  forenoon,  and  the  gentlemen  were 
informed  that  thej'  must  remain  to  dinner  and  aid  in  com- 
pleting the  work  that  afternoon.  To  this  they  readily  as- 
sented, and  in  the  course  of  the  afternoon  the  work  of 
decorating  the  house  was  fulh'  finished.  It  had  been  done 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  amply  repay  those  participating  in 
the  same  for  the  time  and  labor  expended  in  the  work;  for 
the  wreaths  and  festoons  of  cedar,  the  beautiful  branches 
of  holly  with  their  bright  red  berries,  and  the  fresh  green 
sprigs  of  mistletoe,  which  graced  the  walls  of  the  parlors, 
dining-room,  and  spacious  hall,  and  the  luxuriant  exotic 
plants  and  beautiful  native  flowers  that  were  scattered  in 
graceful  profusion  throughout  the  house,  presented  a  sight 
that  would  have  satisfied  the  most  critical  ejx,  and  de- 
ligfhted  the  heart  of  a  veritable  connoisseur  of  the  beautiful. 


JOHN  ASHTON.  271 

On  taking  leave  of  the  ladies  that  afternoon  the  gentlemen 
told  them  that,  although  they  had  been  in  their  company  all 
day,  the  service  into  which  they  had  been  pressed  had  really 
prevented  them  from  making  their  contemplated  visit,  and 
for  this  reason,  and  also  as  a  reward  for  their  labors,  they 
would  claim  the  privilege  of  calling  after  tea,  but  for  the 
fact  that  the  ladies  would  doubtless  need  a* full  night's  rest 
after  the  fatiguing  labors  of  the  day.  Kate  Slaughter,  in 
her  frank  and  straightforward  way,  promptly  informed 
them  that  she  was  glad  to  see  that  they  had  been  so  con- 
siderate of  the  comfort  of  her  companions  and  herself; 
"for,"  said  she,  "you  have  thereby  saved  us  from  the  em- 
barrassment of  having  to  decline  such  a  visit,  as  I  assure 
you  v^e  would  not  in  our  tiredcondition  see  any  one  to- 
night   not  even  our  sweethearts." 

Ruth's  wedding  morn  dawned  bright  and  clear,  and,  al- 
though it  was  Christmas  day,  it  was  busily  spent  at  "The 
Oaks'  in  final  preparations  for  the  marriage  that  evening, 
and  the  wedding  feast  that  was  to  follow  the  same.  How- 
ever, the  occupants  of  "The  Oaks"  did  not,  in  the  midst  of 
the  bustle  and  activity  incident  to  the  approaching  event, 
either  forget  or  forego  the  accustomed  Christmas  dinner, 
which  was  enlivened  by  the  presence  of   their  friends    from 

B ,  and  was   all  that  could  be  desired,  both   as  to    the 

quantity  and  quality  of  the  viands  and  the  excellency  of  the 
cuisine. 

The  hour  appointed  for  the  marriage  was  8  o'clock  that 
evening,  and  by  7  o'clock  the  guests  began  to  arrive.  On 
approaching  the  house  they  were  greeted  by  a  beautiful  and 
attractive  sight,  as  the  magnificent  grove  surrounding  the 
building  was  lighted  up  with  Chinese  lanterns,  and  every 
room  in  the  mansion  was  brilliantlj^  illuminated.  We  have 
alluded  to  the  beauty  of  the  interior  decorations  at  the 
time  they  were  completed,  and  they  were  now  rendered  far 
more  beautiful  by  the  bright  lamplight  f alHng  upon  them  ; 
and  hence  the  interior  of  the  building  presented  a  vision  of 
beauty  that  was  almost  bewildering  in  its  brilliancy  and 
loveliness.  The  spacious  double  parlors  had  been  converted 
into  one  large  room  by  drawing  back  the  sliding  doors  that 
divided  them,  and  soon  the  room  was  thronged    with  joy- 


272  JOHN  ASriTON. 

ous  and  expectant  guests,  as  it  was  there  that  the  ceremony 
was  to  be  performed.  At  one  end  of  the  room  a  beautiful 
bower  had  been  constructed  of  vines  and  branches  of  vari- 
ous evergreens,  and  from  its  center  hung  the  marriage  bell, 
composed  of  bride  roses.  At  the  appointed  hour,  Ruth  en- 
tered the  roorn  leaning  on  the  arm  of  Ashton,  and  they 
immediately  took  their  positions  under  the  marriage  bell, 
where  the  ceremony  that  united  their  future  lives  and  per- 
fected their  happiness  was  impressively  performed  by  Dr. 
Robert  Hastings,   a   distinguished  divine,   and  a   personal 

friend  of  Ashton's,  who  resided  in    B .     As  soon   as  the 

ceremony  was  over,  there  was  a  hasty  gathering  of  the 
guests  around  the  bride  and  groom  to  extend  to  the  latter 
their  cordial  congratulations  on  the  priceless  prize  which  he 
had  won,  and  to  wish  the  former  a  happy  and  cloudless  life. 
Shortly  after  the  last  of  the  numerous  guests  had  partici- 
pated in  this  pleasant  duty,  supper  was  announced,  and  the 
company  repaired  to  the  spacious  dining-room,  where  they 
found  awaiting  them  such  an  abundance  and  variety  of  the 
choicest  and  most  delicious  viands  as  would  have  furnished 
an  appropriate  feast  for  royalty  itself;  for  in  this,  as  in 
other  arrangements  for  Ruth's  marriage,  Carrington  had 
carried  out  his  determination  to  spare  no  expense  in  mak- 
ing it  a  royal  wedding.  Ample  justice  was  done  to  the  wed- 
ding feast  by  those  for  whom  it  had  been  prepared,  and  at 
its  close  they  returned  to  the  parlors  in  a  happy  state  of 
mind,  that  fully  fitted  them  for  entering  with  zest  into  the 
enjoyment  of  the  farther  pleasures  of  the  evening.  Al- 
though the  company  was  a  large  one,  its  members  were 
perfectly  congenial,  and  were  soon  freely  and  familiarh" 
chatting  with  each  other  in  groups  or  in  pairs,  according 
as  accident  or  inclination  had  drawn  them  together.  Thus 
the  time  was  spent  in  friendly  chat,  and  merry  jest,  varied 
by  music,  and  an  occasional  dance.  At  the  suggestion  of 
Kate  Slaughter,  the  festivities  of  the  evening  were  closed 
with  "the  Virginia  Reel,"  and  the  dance  was  executed  with 
such  vivacity  and  abandon  that  the  rapidly  whirling  forms 
of  the  dancers  presented  a  sight  that  was  really  bewildering 
to  those  who  were  looking  on.  At  its  close  the  company 
began  to  disperse,  and  soon  the  last  of  the  guests  had 
departed. 


JOHN  ASH  TON.  273 

A  few  hundred  yards  in  the  rear  of  the  mansion  there  was 
a  large  group  of  cabins  called  "The  Negro  Quarter,"  and  from 
that  direction  the  sound  of  music  and  dancing  could  be  dis- 
tinctly heard,  for  early  in  the  evening  their  occupants  had  ' 
assembled  at  several  of  the  larger  cabins  to  celebrate  "Miss 
Ruth's  weddin'  "  and  the  arrival  of  Christmas,  and  were  still 
making  merry  the  passing  hours  in  honor  of  these  impor- 
tant events. 

Shortly  after  the  guests  had  retired   from  the  mansion,  : 
the  music  and  dancing  at  "the  quarter"   ceased,  and   soon  '. 
the  heads  of  families   among   the  occupants  of   the   cabins  . 
silently  repaired  to  "the  big  house"   to  hang  up  their  stock- 
ings   in    anticipation   of  the   accustomed  visit   of   "Sandy 
Claws,"  as  they  called  the  patron  saint   of   Christmas-tide,  j 
Their  reason  for  not  having  done  this  the  preceding  night ' 
was  the  fact  that  it  was  Sunday  night,    and    Carrington  ; 
told  them  to  defer  the  matter  on  that  account,  and  also  on 
account  of  the  approaching  marriage,   laughingW  suggest- , 
ing  that  when  "Sandy"  came  and  found  that  there  had  been 
a  wedding  in  the  house  he   would    thereby  be   rendered  un- 
usually jolly  and   good-humored,   and,  consequently,   they 
might  expect  him  to  be  more  liberal   with  his  gifts.     Hence 
it  was  that  "the  darkies"  had   not  hung  up  their  stockings 
as  usual  on  Christmas  eve,  and  were  now  about  to  engage  in 
that,    to    them,    delightful     and    momentous    occupation. 
These  "stockings"  were  not  stockings  at  all,  but  capacious 
bags,  and  they  were  soon  dangling  from  every   door-knob, 
and  other  projection  at  the  rear  of  the  house,  or  deposited 
on  the  floor  of  the  back  veranda.    Having  thus  disposed  of 
them,  their  owners  promptly  departed   and,   in  a   spirit  of 
loyal  trust  in  the  "Massa"  and  "Missus"  of    the   mansion, 
resisted  a  natural  curiosity  to  watch  for  "Sandy's"  appear- 
ance, and   at  once  repaired   to   their  homes.    Their  confi- 
dence was  by  no  means  misplaced,  for  in  a   few  moments 
after  their  departure,  Carrington  and  Bertha  had  with  lav- 
ish hands  performed  the  part  of  Santa  Claus  and  deposited 
in  the  various  bags    presents  that  would  delight  the  hearts 
of  both  young  and  old  on  the  morrow. 

In  the  murky  gray  of  the  early  dawn   numerous  figures 
could  be  seen  issuing  from  the  cabins  at  the  negro   quarter 

18 


274  JOHN  ASHTOJSr. 

and  swiftly  moving  toward  the  mansion  house.  The  reader 
will  readily  understand  that  they  were  "the  darkies  "  who 
had  "hung  up  their  stockings"  the  night  before,  and  were 
now,  as  they  expressed  it,"g\vine  ter  see  what  Sandy  Claws 
hed  fotched  'em."  The  eagerness  with  which  they  plunged 
their  hands  into  their  respective  bags,  feeling  of  and  peer- 
ing at  the  contents,  and  the  grins  of  satisfaction  and  ex- 
clamations of  delight  with  which  they  drew  forth  and  held 
up  to  view  some  article  that  was  especially  acceptable  to 
them, formed  a  picture  of  simple  but  perfect  happiness  that 
was  both  refreshing  to  the  sight,  and  suggestive  of  the  fact 
that,  although  the  result  of  the  war  had  destroyed  the  re- 
lation of  master  and  slave  in  the  South,  it  had  not  severed 
the  ties  of  sympathy  and  affection  which  had  long  existed 
between  them. 

The  occupants  of  "The  Oaks"  rose  with  the  stm  that  morn- 
ing and,  after  partaking  of  an  early  breakfast,  began  to 
discuss  the  question  as  to  how  they  should  spend  the  day,  or 
at  least  the  forenoon.  Carrington  told  them  that  he  regret- 
ted that  the  absence  of  snow  would  prevent  the  formation 
of  a  sleighing  party,  such  as  they  had  on  the  day  after  his 
and  Bertha's  marriage,  and  proposed  in  lieu  thereof,  that 
they  form  a  riding  party,  suggesting  that  a  gallop  of  tenor 
twelve  miles  in  the  crisp  morning  air  would  be  delightful  ex- 
ercise, and  also  afford  the  visitors  an  opportunity  for  seeing 
a  part  of  the  country  with  which  they  were  not  familiar. 
His  proposition  was  promptly  accepted,  and  the  execution 
of  the  plan  suggested  was  only  delayed  to  await  the  arrival 
of  Preston,  Harris,  and  Hardy,  who  had  told  the  ladies,  on 
leaving  the  night  before,thatthey  would  ride  out  that  morn- 
ing to  ascertain  whether  they  had  survived  the  effects  of  the 
evening's  dissipation.  The  ladies  at  once  retired  to  their 
rooms  to  don  their  riding  habits,  and  Carrington  gave  orders 
to  his  groom  to  saddle  the  horses.  Ashton's  horse,  which,  as 
before  stated,  Ruth  had  repurchased  for  him,  had  safely 
arrived  at  B and  been  brought  out  to  "The  Oaks"  with- 
out Ashton's  knowledge,  an  1  when  Carrington  proposed  the 
riding  party  that  morning,  he  had  in  view  the  opportunity 
which  it  would  afford  Ruth  for  giving  her  husband  the 
pleasant  surprise  she  had    prepared  for  him,    and  also    the 


JOHN  ASHTON.  275 

fact  that  he  would  thus  be  enabled  to  immediately  enjoy 
her  present.  About  the  time  at  which  the  ladies  reappeared 
in  their  riding  suits,  Preston,  Harris,  and  Hardy  rode  up, 
and  in  a  few  moments  the  horses  ordered  by  Carrington 
were  brought  around  in  front  of  the  house.  The  ladies  of 
the  part}',  together  with  Carrington  and  Ashton,  were 
standing  in  a  group  on  the  veranda,  and  after  hearty  greet- 
ings had  been  exchanged  between  them  and  the  gentlemen 
who  had  just  arrived,  Carrington  said: 

"Everything  is  now  ready  for  our  jaunt,  and  in  order  to 
save  the  gentlemen  from  the  embarrassment  of  selecting 
their  partners,  I  will  make  the  selections  for  them.     Doctor 

Hardy  will  escort  Miss   R ,  Lieutenant   Harris  shall  be 

Miss  Preston's  companion,  and  Lieutenant  Preston  will 
act  as  Miss  Slaughter's  escort.  As  for  Ashton  and  myself, 
fate  has  already  selected  our  partners,  and  neither  of  us  is 
as  yet  inclined  to  'fly  in  the  face  of  fortune'  with  a  view  to 
changing  them.  'The  troop' —  excuse  the  military  phrase, — 
will  now  mount  and  ride  off  in  the  order  named." 

The  horses    selected   for  Miss   R ,  Belle   Preston,  and 

Kate  Slaughter  were  then  in  turn  led  up  to  the  horse-block, 
and  the  respective  escorts  of  those  ladies  assisted  them  to 
mount  and  rode  off  in  their  company.  After  assisting  his 
wife  to  mount,  Ashton  stepped  back  to  receive  from  the 
groom  the  horse  intended  for  him.  On  his  approach  the 
horse  pricked  up  his  ears,  began  to  sniff  excitedly  and  in  a 
moment  was  whinnying  with  delight.  Surprised  by  these 
manifestations  of  pleasure,  and  startled  by  something 
strangely  familiar  in  the  neigh  of  the  horse,  Ashton  looked 
up  quickly,  took  a  hasty  but  critical  survey  of  the  animal, 
and  almost  instantly  felt  that  the  faithful  friend  with 
whom  he  had  so  reluctantly  parted,  stood  before  him.  In 
order  to  be  perfectly  sure  of  this,  he  approached  the  animal, 
placed  his  hand  on  his  neck  and  in  a  low  tone  of  voice  said : 
"Mosby."  On  hearing  the  name  the  horse  renewed  his 
joyous  neighing  and  gave  other  manifestations  of  recogni- 
tion and  delight.    Turning  to  Carrington,  Ashton  said: 

"I  have  long  known,  Phil,  that  you  were  one  of  the  best 
friends  I  have  ever  had,  but  this  act  of  generous  thought 
fulness  in  securing  for  me  my  dear  and  faithful   horse  sur- 


276  JOHN  ASH  TON. 

passes  any  of  your  many   deeds  of  kindness,  and    I  shall 
never  cease  to  be  grateful  for  the  same." 

"I  am  really  sorry  and  ashamed,  too,  John,"  said  Car- 
rington,  "that  I  do  not  deserve  your  thanks  and  gratitude; 
for  while  I  might  say,  without  flattering  myself,  that  I 
would  gladly  have  thus  befriended  you,  the  truth  of  the 
matter  is  that  I  never  thought  of  so  doing,  and  you 
will  have  to  repeat  your  thanks  and  expressions  of  grati- 
tude to  one  who  is  far  more  thoughtful  and  considerate  of 
your  happiness  than  even  'one  of  your  best  friends',  as 
you  have  called  me." 

As  he  finished  this  remark  Carrington  glanced  toward 
Ruth  and,  hastily  mounting  his  horse,  rode  off  with  his 
wife,  whom  he  had  assisted  to  mount  while  Ashton  was  ex- 
amining his  horse.  Ashton  immediately  rushed  forward  to 
Ruth  and,  seizing  her  hand,  overwhelmed  her  with  thanks 
and  expressions  of  gratitude  for  the  generous  kindness  and 
loving  thoughtfulness  which  she  had  manifested  in  his  be- 
half, and  concluded  by  whispering  to  her: 

"But  for  the  fact  that  your  mouth  is  at  present  beyond 
my  reach,  you  doubtless  would  incur  the  danger  of  being 
smothered  with  kisses." 

Ruth  simply  said: 

"I  am  inexpressibly  happy  that  it  was  in  my  power  thus 
to  please  my  precious  husband  and  prove  my  devotion  to 
him  on  this  gladsome  day." 

Ashton  made  no  reply,  except  by  an  adoring  look  into 
Ruth's  eyes,  and,  having  mounted  his  horse,  he  and  Ruth, 
awed  into  silence  by  the  great  gladness  that  filled  their  souls, 
rode  off  and  soon  joined  the  other  members  of  the  party. 
Although  Hardy  had,  "under  orders,"  ridden  away  from 
"The  Oaks"  at  the  head  of  the  party,  he  had  even  thus 
early,  in   some  way,   managed  to   drop  behind,    and    was 

now  riding  with  Miss  R in  the  rear  of  the  other  couples. 

Appreciating  the  situation,  Ashton  and  Ruth  promptly 
passed  the  laggards  and  left  them  to  enjoy  the  advanta- 
geous position  which  Hardy  had  chosen.  That  he  con- 
stantly maintained  it  during  the  remainder  of  the  ride,  and 
made  full  use  of  the  opportunity  thus  afforded  him  for  pri- 
vate  communion  with    his    companion,    our    readers    will 


JOHN  ASHTON.  277 

readily  infer,  and  we  suppose  that  none  of  them  will  blame 
the  infatuated  fellow,  for,  similarly  situated,  they  would 
doubtless  have  done  the  same.  There  was  never  a  merrier 
or  more  congenial  riding  party,  and,  joyously  unconscious 
of  the  flight  of  time  or  the  distance  traveled,  they  covered 
many  miles  in  their  exhilarating  gallop  before  turning  their 
faces  homeward.  In  their  jaunt  they  passed  the  place  of 
Ruth's  dangerous  adventure  with  her  runaway  horse,  and, 
while  crossing  the  bridge  that  had  replaced  the  one  washed 
away  by  the  freshet  and  which  now  spanned  the  chasm 
toward  which  Ruth  was  being  rapidly  borne  when  rescued 
by  Ashton,  both  Ruth  and  Ashton  were  vividly  reminded, 
not  only  of  that  fearful  ad  venture,  but  also  of  the  subsequent 
results  of  the  same,  which  had  served  to  bridge  the  chasm 
of  grief  and  gloom  separating  Ashton  from  society,  and 
eventually  united  their  hearts  and  lives  in  bonds  of  perfect 
love,  and  they  almost  blessed  the  memory  of  the  angry  flood 
whose  raging  waters  had  thus  indirectly  contributed  to  the 
crowning  of  their  lives  with  happiness. 

On  returning  to  "The  Oaks,"  the  riding  party  became 
aware  of  the  fact  that  the  morning's  jaunt  had  sharpened 
their  appetites,  and  even  Hardy  did  not  slight  the  sump- 
tuous dinner  that  was  served. 

The  lady  visitors  had  promised  to  spend  two  or  three 
weeks  with  Ruth  and  Bertha,  and  as  Ashton  and  Ruth  had  de- 
cided to  remain  at  "The  Oaks,"  during  their  stay  he  insisted 
that  Preston  and  Harris  should  also  make  it  their  home 
during  that  time.  A  similar  invitation  was  extended  by 
Carrington  to  Hardy  and,  the  invitations  having  been  ac- 
cepted, the  luggage  of  the  three  young  men  was  sent  for 
that  afternoon  and  they  were  duly  installed  as  guests  at 
"The  Oaks."  The  house-party  thus  formed  naturally  and 
readily  planned  numerous  and  pleasant  festivities  for  the 
holidays,  but  we  will  not  weary  the  reader  with  an  account 
of  them.  While  the  arrangement  that  had  been  made 
proved  a  source  of  pleasure  to  all  concerned,  it  was 
especially  delightful  to  George  Hardy,  as  it  gave  him  ample 
opportunities   for   cultivating    the    acquaintance    of  Miss 

R ,  in  whom  he  felt  the  deepest  interest  and  for  whom 

his  admiration  was  daily  increasing.     Owing  to   Hardy's 


278  JOHN  ASHTON. 

profession  and  its  similarity  to  the  occupation  in  which 
Miss  R had  been  engaged  when  at  the  hospital  in  Wash- 
ington, there  was  a  bond  of  sympathy  between  them  that 
was  naturally  conducive  to  mutual  interest  in  each  other; 
and  this  fact,  together  with  Hardy's  frank  manner,  ingenu- 
ous disposition,  generous  nature   and  bright  intellect,  had 

rendered  his  society  exceedingly  agreeable  to  Miss  R and 

awakened  in  her  mind  the  highest  admiration  for  him. 
Moreover,  while  she  was  in  many  respects  an  exceptional 
woman,  she  was  not  an  exception  to  the  majority  of  her 
sex  as  to  the  sense  of  gratification  that  they  experience  in 
receiving  the  sincere  and  unselfish  admiration  of  true  and 
noble  men,  and  the  reciprocal  emotions  which  are  usually 
thereby   awakened.     Hence    the  admiration  which    Hardy 

felt  for  Miss  R ,  and  made  no  effort  to  conceal,   was  by 

no  means  an  unimportant  factor  in  the  forces  which  were 
operating  for  the  winning  of  her  favor.  Hardy  made  full 
use  of  the  opportunities   which   his  stay   at  "The   Oaks" 

afforded    him    for  companionship    with    Miss    R ,    and 

managed  to  secure  many  hours  of  private  communion  with 
her  through  the  medium  of  morning  walks  in  the  adjacent 
woodlands  and  horseback  rides  over  the  surrounding  coun- 
try. He  soon  realized  beyond  all  doubt  that  which,  since 
the  day  of  the  riding  party,  he  had  felt  to  be  true,  viz.: 
That  he  deeply  and  devotedly  loved  this  beautiful  and  no- 
ble Northern  girl  whose  life  had  so  unexpectedly  touched  his 
own,  and  he  determined  that,  if  it  were  possible  so  to  do, 
he  would  win  her  heart  and  hand.  Acting  purely  in  accord- 
ance with  the  promptings  of  his  heart,  and  the  inclinations 
of  his  warm  and  impulsive  nature,  Hardy,  without  know- 
ing it,  adopted  the  best  possible  plan  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  his  object  by  casting  caution  to  the  winds  and 
unreservedly  manifesting  his  ardent  admiration  for  Miss 
R ,  without  a  thought  as  to  what  would  be  the  conse- 
quences of  his  conduct;  for  he  thus  plainly  showed  the  per- 
fect purity  and  unselfish  abandon  of  his  love,  which  was 
being  freely  and  lavishly  bestowed  without  any  calculation 
as  to  the  chances  of  its  return.  To  that  extent,  although  a 
modest  man,  he  became  a  bold  wooer,  and  most  flesh-and- 
blood  women  like  such.     Indeed,    as    some   one   has    said: 


JOHN  ASIITON.  279 

"That  which  women  most  love  is  love,"  and,  therefore,  the 
undemonstrative,  cautious,  and  calculating  lover  woos  in 
vain  the  woman  who  is  worth  winning;  for  he  really  does 
not  know  how  to  love,  and  fails  to  give  spontaneously  and 
unreservedly  that  which  she  most  desires.  Hence  it  was 
that  George  Hardy,   by  the  ardor  of  his  wooing,   showed 

Miss  R that  he  knew  how  to   love,  and  thus  increased 

his  chances  for  winning  her  heart.  His  wooing  was  prose- 
cuted with  unabated  ardor  and  when, a  few  days  before  the 
end  of  her  visit,  he  declared  his  love  in  burning  words,  tell- 
ing her  that  it  had  become  a  part  of  his  life,  and  asked  her 
if  she  could  give  him  her  heart  in  return,  and  become  his 
wife,  he  did  not  receive  "nay"  for  his  answer. 

A  few  days  thereafter  the  house-party  at  "The  Oaks" 
was  broken  up  by  the  departure  of  the  guests,  and  Ashton 
and  his  wife  took  up  their  residence  in  B . 

We  have  almost  reached  the  end  of  our  story  and  there 
remains  but  little  more  to  be  told.  In  view  of  what  has 
been  said  respecting  the  relations  existing  between  Lieuten- 
ant Preston  and  Kate  Slaughter  and  Lieutenant  Harris  and 
Belle  Preston,  the  reader  has  long  since  naturally  and  cor- 
rectly surmised  that  a  yet  closer  relation  would  eventually 
be  formed  between  them ;  and  hence  it  is  only  necessary  to 
state  that  the  respective  couples  were  happily  married 
shortly  after  their  return  to  Virginia. 

A  few  months  later  George  Hardy  claimed  the  fulfilment 

of  the  promise  which  he  had  obtained  from  Miss  R ,  and 

brought  her  to  B as  his  bride. 

Carrington's  farming  operations  were  successfully  con- 
tinued for  the  benefit  of  Ruth  and  Bertha  through  the 
medium  of  an  efficient  and  faithful  agent,  and,  as  the  coun- 
try gradually  recuperated  from  the  disastrous  results  of 
the  war,  his  and  Hardy's  practice  increased  in  extent  and 
lucrativeness. 

The  same  was  true  as  to  Ashton's  practice,  and  it  was 
only  a  few  years  before  his  accumulation  of  wealth  deprived 
Ruth  of  the  pleasure  which  she  had  often  enjoyed  in  mak- 
ing personal  sacrifices  for  his  sake  and  thereby  assisting 
him  to  recover  from  the  injurious  consequences  of  the 
Civil  War. 

The  End. 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 


